CLOSE associates describe Udom Emmanuel as the man who mounted the saddle of leadership with a mental inclination to do more for the people.

They insist that since May 29, 2015 when he took over the reins of administration in Akwa Ibom State, he has dedicated himself to the onerous task of doing more, and that his penchant for working beyond the promise has enabled the state to embark on the journey of industrialisation.

Since the creation of the state about 32 years ago, Akwa Ibom State’s economy has always been directed by civil service endeavours. While many of her governors had touted their desire to diversify the economy away from this structure, not much work appeared to have been delivered in that direction.

However, Udom Emmanuel seems to have moved in the direction of diversification. After his election and swearing in, he reportedly set out to deliver on his five-point programme of job creation, poverty alleviation, wealth creation, economic and political inclusion, as well as infrastructural consolidation and expansion.

Udom Emmanuel

His take-off point was in the attitudinal orientation of the citizens through the Dakkada or “rise up” philosophy. The governor was apparently persuaded that he could replicate the mobilisation experience associated with the defunct Mass Mobilisation for Self Reliance and Economic Recovery, MAMSER, undertaken by the General Ibrahim Babangida administration and headed by Prof. Jerry Gana.

Information and Strategy Commissioner, Charles Udoh, believes that the Dakkada mobilisation programme was successful. He notes: “Almost every young graduate aspiring to work looked only at one government ministry or the other. But the present government is saying Akwa Ibom people can rise above that…If an individual can succeed as an entrepreneur, any other person can also succeed.” He was, however, silent on whether young and fresh graduates in the state have become persuaded to start off as entrepreneurs, away from jobs in the civil service.

Governor Udom Emmanuel, 52, who was born at Awa Iman in ONNA LGA, studied accountancy at the University of Lagos. He served in Zenith Bank Plc for 17 years to become Executive Director before exiting to become Secretary to Akwa Ibom State Government, under the erstwhile governor, Senator Godswill Akpabio. He was elected as governor to succeed his mentor.

Udom appears to have skewed his activities to the direction of job creation. This is evidenced from the fact that he reportedly took off with the establishment of a toothpick and pencil factory at Etinan.

The Akwa Ibom Enterprise and Employment Scheme, AKEES, which facilitated this to provide consumables for the state’s education programme, claims the state has become the first toothpicks producer in Nigeria. The agency added that the factory is currently producing 20,000 pencils and 50,000 kilogrammes of toothpicks per week, with orders already placed for the supply of 144,000 pencils every three months.

The job creation drive was followed by the construction of 60,000 tonnes Kings Flour mill at Okat in ONNA LGA. By the government’s estimates, this is expected to offer employment to 1,500 youths when completed. Along with this was the establishment of a syringe factory, reputed to be the biggest in Africa at ONNA. The factory has initial installed capacity of 400 million syringes a year. Also in ONNA is the meter manufacturing factory for the production of prepaid electricity meters.

The governor has also reportedly resuscitated the Peacock Paints factory at Etinan as well as the Qua Steel industry at Eket. Both the paints and steel plants were established by the administration of the late Dr. Clement Isong in the old Cross River State in the 1980s and were allowed to crumble by successive governments. The resuscitated steel industry which was facilitated by the state’s investment corporation, AKICORP, has capacity for the production of 300 tonnes of steel per year.

Installation of “dead bus” technology

In the agricultural sector, the governor has reportedly cultivated 11,000 hectares of land for the planting of two million coconut seedlings for the coconut refinery. Mkpatenin, Eastern Obolo and Ikot Abasi LGAs donated land for the cultivation of the coconuts, while some 250 products are expected to be harnessed from the coconuts when the project is fully operational. Apart from this, the state intends to achieve self- sufficiency in tomato production. The projection is that 20,000 tonnes of tomatoes will be produced yearly, and this will not only create a multiplier effect by generating employment for about 1,600 individuals but also create some 85 new businesses with potential for taking Akwa Ibom youths off the streets.

In the power sector, the governor has also made some strides. This is borne out of the understanding that no modern society can meaningfully develop or grow without power supply. Noteworthy efforts in this sector are the securing of licence for the generation of additional 685 megawatts of power at the Ibom Power Plant in Ikot Abasi and the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, PHED, facilities at Ekim in Mkpatenin LGA and at Ikot Ekpene. Of equal importance is the reported installation of “dead bus” technology which allows Akwa Ibom State to have access to power during periods of national grid power outages.

These efforts formed part of the yardsticks that informed Vanguard Editors’ nomination of Udom Emmanuel as one of the governors of the year, 2018.

https://newlive.vanguardngr.com/2018/12/obaseki-mobilises-entrepreneurs-manufacturers-academics-others-to-processing-centres/