By Essien Ndueso
A MILLION times, thousands of ambitions of people to become engineers and medical doctors have submerged in the lake of mathematics. To go for these professions and perform poorly in mathematics is to have an ambition directly disproportional to ones intellectual capacity. When they say politics is a game of numbers, it is a mathematical allusion. Mathematics, too, ascribes seniority to numbers. For instance, ten is expected to be greater than five. But can five be greater than twenty? There lies the magic of transformational mathematics.
On 23rd September, 1987, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (Rtd.) created Nigeria’s 21st State, Akwa Ibom. At that time, it attracted celebrations befitting of such feat. Today, Akwa Ibom State is 25 – a silver jubilee! Is it worth celebrating? Yes. But of her 25 years of existence, the justification for celebration is buried in the belly of five years; five years of uncommon transformation; five years as icing on the cake; five years of accomplishing an outsize vision (Special Vision Digest, September, 2012).
With this impressive pedigree you would agree that indeed Akwa Ibom people have every reason to celebrate 25 years of statehood.
From a very humble beginning coupled with total absence of infrastructure in 1987, the state has grown significantly with state-of-the-art infrastructure spread across the length of the state particularly within the last five years.In appreciation of this therefore, the government and the good people of the state rolled the drums to mark the day in a very colourful fashion.
As is customary with the state, the people in one accord gathered at Ibom Hall grounds on Sunday September 23,2012, to celebrate God’s benevolence on the state these twenty five years. The people sang and danced with the first family of the state leading the pack.
In his homily, the officiating priest who spoke on the topic ‘I SHALL BE YOUR GOD’, admonished the people to hold steadfastly to God whom he said has been the success factor for the state all these years.
The state chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Bishop Cletus Bassey attributed the growth witnessed in Akwa Ibom to the benevolence of God and the exemplary leadership style of Governor Godswill Akpabio, who has spread development projects even to remote areas of the state.
Governor Akpabio who intermittently burst into songs thanked the Almighty for giving him the grace to be the state’s chief executive at an auspicious moment when the state was celebrating her silver jubilee.
The governor said his task was to make the state the most peaceful state in the country so as to encourage investors particularly indigenes of the state in the Diaspora to take advantage of the ambience and peaceful disposition as well as the hospitable nature of the people to do legitimate business here.
Some past military leaders of the state expressed happiness at the pace of development witnessed in the state. They included Godwin Abbe and his wife Patience, Idongesit Nkanga, Yakubu Bako, Joseph Adeusi and John Ebiye who all commended Chief Akpabio for fast-tracking the a revolution in the State.
The silver jubilee anniversary climaxed with a state banquet where citizens of the state, stakeholders, and friends from within and outside the state gathered to share in the joy of the moment. It was a fun-filled and a thrilling evening with the best of traditional dances on parade. The governor, assisted by his predecessors, cut the Silver jubilee cake officiated by the Gombe state governor, Ibrahim Dankwambo
The evening was a potpourri of activities as selected movie artistes from the State performed live on stage, while musicians, cultural troupes, comedians among others, spiced the evening.
On their part, the 26 members of the state House of Assembly unanimously bestowed the GOOD GOVERNANCE AWARD and passed a vote of confidence on the state governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio, through a notion moved by the Speaker Elder Sam Ikon.
Addressing the gathering, Governor Akpabio paid tribute to his predecessors for laying a solid foundation upon which his administration is building on. He commended multi-national construction companies for high quality job performance even as he pledged to continue to patronize them.
Also as part of activities marking the silver jubilee, Governor Akpabio had earlier swore in the 25th Chairman of Akwa Ibom State Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers with a charge to use his tenure to ensure the continued unity of the state.
Vice President Namadi Sambo who also graced the occasion of the silver jubilee of creation of Akwa Ibom State used the occasion to commission a number of projects executed by the Akpabio administration within the last one year. These include the fourth flyover on the third Ring Road in Uyo, the second Pipe-jacking underground drainage project at Abak, the Treasury Headquarters building at the state secretariat as well as the City Centre Plaza in Ikot Ekpene.
At the Accountant-General’s Office, Uyo, Governor Akpabio said by 2015, Akwa Ibom would become New Akwa Ibom while Uyo will become New Uyo due to the radical transformation in the state.
The Governor pointed out that the commissioning of Treasury House serves as a point of contact to other sub-treasuries in various local government areas of the state, saying workers would work with ease in the new offices.
He applauded the state civil service for collaborating with the government in the implementation of policies and programmes, called for more support.
Akpabio appealed to the Vice President to assist in ensuring that the Federal Government refund money used in saving Abak-Uyo Road from collapse, remarking that the inauguration shows there was hope for Akwa Ibom child.
The state Accoutant-General, Udo H. Isobara thanked the Governor for his approval of a new office for Accountant-General and for provision of 400 computer sets to computerize the accounting records and operations in the state.
Isobara who hinted that the project costing N250 million comprises five open apartments and 16 other offcies with self-contained, fully equipped with air conditioners, computer system, scanners, cameras and round-the clock internet facility.
The Accountant-General said 15 new sub treasuries approved by the Governor have been completed in Ikono, Ini, Mkpat Enin, Nsit Ibom, Obot Akara, Okobo, Essien Udim, Etim Ekpo, Ukanafun, Ika, Urue Offong/Oruko, Onna, Itu, Oruk Anam and Nsit Atai Local Government Areas.
Speaking while commission the new flyover at the third ring road, Vice President Sambo restated Federal Government’s commitment to partnering Akwa Ibom Government in the transformation of the state.
The Vice President announced that the present administration has granted approval for the construction of Ibaka Deep Seaport in the state, hoping that with deep commitment the project would soon come into fruition.
Governor Akpabio said the fourth flyover in Uyo constructed by Julius Berger consisted a 150 metres dual carriageway with pedestrian walkway and will help evacuate traffic to the airport from the city nerve center.
Akpabio hinted that the state government has taken dualisation of Abak-Uyo Road up to Abak Prisons while the state government is negotiating with the Ministry of Interior for the demolition and re-construction of Abak Prisons.
When the Vice President’s train hit Abak, a mammoth crowd of supporters in their drove was on hand for a colourful welcome party. To which an elated Alhaji Sambo said he was happy that Chief Akpabio was demonstrating the transformation programme of the Federal Government at his State.
While inaugurating the multi-billion naira underground pipe-jacking technology drainage facility at Abak, Sambo said he was happy to commission the project, about a year after commissioning a similar project in the State.
He recommended the pipe-jacking technology drainage to other states in the country, who are plagued by perennial flood and erosion challenges.
Describing the Akpabio-administration as focused and purpose-driven, Arc Sambo urged him not to relent in his bid to make life meaningful for his people.
Earlier, Governor Godswill Akpabio said he brought the project to Abak in response to years of agitation by the people who went through untold hardship over the embarrassing flood menace in the area.
Chief Akpabio said he had adopted the pipe-jacking technology, following his visit to Copenhagen in Denmark, and added that other State Governors have been visiting him to get acquainted with the working of the technology which can provide a lasting solution to flood challenges in the country.
The Governor maintained that he was relieved because the indigenes of Abak can now heave a sigh of relief and go about their respective duties without the ecological threat.
Speaking with reporters shortly before the commissioning, an indigene of the area and Commissioner for Information, Mr. Aniekan Umanah said his people were happy to benefit from Governor Akpabio’s benevolence in rewriting their history, and expressed their resolve to continue to support Governor Akpabio’s transformation programme.
At Ikot Ekpene City Centre Plaza, Chief Akpabio said Ikot Ekpene was the first experimental local government administration in West Africa but was the first to be forgotten by previous administrations in the state.
Akpabio hinted that contract for the construction of the plaza was awarded in December 2009 to Jardin Construction Company, saying the plaza would serve as a leisure centre comparable to any one in part of the world complete with playground for children, fabricated overhead walkway, circulated fountain and 250 KVA generator, among others.
Indeed, from the realities on ground in Akwa Ibom, Governor Akpabio’s achievements are arresting, stupendous and colossal. From an international airport to an e-library via good roads and flyovers, the story is clear, in pictures and in words. A reflection on the free and the compulsory education, free medi-care to the aged, pregnant women and the young, even additional month salary to civil servants in the state, among other government programmes and projects, shows that Governor Akpabio, prior to May 29, 2007 read the problems of the state correctly, and pronto, tackled them adequately.
In an arithmetic that has defied all existing formulae to the astonishment of their Pythagoras Pythais, and our own Chike Obi, Akpabio has in five years appropriately committed resources in projects and programmes that has not only made every Akwa Ibom person to be proud of his state of birth, but also take the state to assume the status of a delightful destination for tourists and investors, a feat that could not be achieved in 20 previous years.
Essien Ndueso(08039529226) writes from Uyo, Akwa Ibom State