A GAS processing plant worth about 55.65 billion naira in Akwa Ibom State, built through public-private partnership is ready to be launched.
This was disclosed by Governor GodswillAkpabio on Thursday who hosted the entourage of the Good Governance Tour who had paid him a courtesy call at the Government House in the state capital of Uyo.
According to Governor Akpabio, the gas plant, located in Esit Eket local government area of the state, would supply gas to power the State Independent Power Plant and the Aluminum Smelter Company in Ikot Abasi.
“Next month, depending on when the president will have time, we are inaugurating the first public-private partnership gas plant in Nigeria,” Akpabio said.
The governor said that democracy was working in Akwa Ibom, saying a lot of development had taken place in the state between 2007 and 2013
“We finished this governor’s office in eight months; this is an automated office and e-governance compliant; we have the best video conferencing facility,” Akpabio said.
Akpabio said his administration had completed 300 urban roads and built 28 bridges in the last six years
He said the administration had intervened in over 200 kilometres of federal roads in the state.
“I have built brand new police secondary school and brand new mobile police base and handed over to the Nigeria Police.
“I have built brand new prisons at Ikot Ekpene and handed over to the Ministry of Internal Affairs; I have given electricity to 1,700 villages.
“Our free and compulsory education is unique because we pay subvention to the principals and headmasters.
“We are providing a future for our children; we have built in the last six years 2,000 classroom blocks,” Akpabio said.
According to Akpabio, the good governance tour is an important exercise to show the world that good things are happening in Nigeria.
The leader of the Good Governance Team and Information Minister Labaran Maku noted that Akwa Ibom was one of the most visible places to show that democracy was working in Nigeria.
Maku said that the good thing about the tour was that it would expose projects in different states for Nigerians to see how democracy had impacted on lives.
He said Akwa Ibom was the 16th state visited since the beginning of the tour and that he was sure to see viable federal, state and local government projects.
Maku commended Gov. Akpabio for his political maturity in relating with President Goodluck Jonathan for the overall development of the state.
The minister said that the calm and patient disposition of President Jonathan was good for Nigeria.
He gave the assurance that very soon the benefits would manifest in the aviation, agriculture, transportation, health and education sectors.