Akwa Ibom Liberation Movement, AILM, a foremost sociopolitical group in Akwa Ibom State has condemned the statement accredited to All Progressives Congress, APC, questioning the performance of Governor Udom Emmanuel within his first 100/days since reelection.

Gov. Udom Emmanuel

In a media briefing, organized by the group’s Secretary-General, Solomon Abasiekong Esq., the action of APC was described as ignorant and mischievous.

Abasiekong maintained that soon after his re-election, His Excellency, Governor Udom Emmanuel, went back to his job to ensure that Akwa Ibom is transformed into an industrialized State, where every employable adult is productively engaged either directly as an employee in new industries springing up every day or indirectly as a service providers and business owners.

He continued that “even an ignorant member of the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, in the State, questions the sanity of the party Publicity Secretary, Mr. Nkereuwem Enyongekere, who suddenly got a brain wave, few days ago, to doodle hogwash about the performance of Governor Udom Emmanuel in the first hundred days of his second term.

He stated that “election has since been concluded and winners announced. Now is time for governance, which obviously Mr. Enyongekere and the leadership of his broom carrying party fail to understand.

“As a group, concerned with the development of the State, we at Akwa Ibom Liberation Movement would have loved to see the APC first complete the Calabar – Itu Road, which is made so much noise about during the presidential election campaigns, before rising to comment on issues of development in the State. Perhaps, that is too much to do, then let the party undertake at least one people-oriented project or program to show that it is sincere about improving the lives of Nigerians living in the State”.

According to him, although celebrating the first hundred days of any public office holder is not constitutionally instituted for public officers to show their achievements or give an account of their stewardship to his critics, right from the first day after his re-election, Governor Udom Emmanuel, hit the ground running.

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The press statement read at the media briefings, is as follows:

AKWA IBOM LIBERATION MOVEMENT

Motto: Together We Shall Liberate Akwa-abasi Ibom State

Secretariat: 365 Oron Road, Uyo Akwa Ibom State.

September 8, 2019.

PRESS STATEMENT

RE: 100 DAYS OF MEANINGLESS HARVEST
• Enyongekere’s swansong depicts his ignorance

Immediately after his re-election, His Excellency, Governor Udom Emmanuel, went back to his job to ensure that Akwa Ibom is transformed into an industrialised State, where every employable adult is productively engaged either directly as an employee in new industries springing up or indirectly as service providers and business owners. Thus, the public, aware that the governor had not wasted a day to continue his industrialisation after his second term election, calls to question the sanity of the Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress in Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Nkereuwem Enyongekere, who suddenly got a brain wave, few days ago, to doodle hogwash about the performance of Governor Udom Emmanuel in the first hundred days of his second term.

Ordinarily, we would have overlooked this pathetic gibberish from an abandoned talking-drum and allow him to continue to howl like a broken record for who cares to listen to him because, Enyongekere’s effort to present his swansong, depicts his apparent ignorance about developments in the State. However, as sympathetic as the plight of this uninspiring spokesman is, we must not allow his meaningless press release mislead the public.

We wish the public should note that:

1) The first hundred days of any public office holder are not constitutionally instituted for public officers to show their achievements or give an account of their stewardship.

Governor Udom Emmanuel has four years mandate, not a hundred days. However, Governor Emmanuel started working right from day one. Immediately after he was re-elected, the Governor started the process of setting up the government by appointing Secretary to State Government, Mr Emmanuel Ekuwem. Recall that on the same day, the Governor paid an unscheduled assessment visit to the 21-storey complex, which is expected to accommodate all International Oil Companies, IOCs, operating in Akwa Ibom State.

Not quite long after his swearing-in, the Governor constituted the State Executive Council. It took the APC led federal government a long time to announce a single appointment.

2) Within 100 days, Governor Emmanuel has awarded a contract for the construction of a flyover at Ikot Oku Ikono junction, to ease traffic at that strategic entrance into the capital city. Work had begun there. Several road construction projects are ongoing; worthy of special mention is the Uyo – Ikot Ekpene dualized road, which is nearing completion.

3) The Governor has so far established more than 16 functioning industries. One of them is the plywood factory, which was started in his first term and will be commissioned during the course of his 100 days in office and the 32nd anniversary of the State. During the anniversary, the King Flour mill which began production in the State less than 100 days ago, will be inaugurated.

We are certain that Eyongekere is aware that the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, is billed to perform the commissioning of these two projects.

4) We are proud to inform members of the APC that Akwa Ibom State stands out as a destination for health tourism because of the delivery of state-of-the-art health care equipment to virtually all parts of the State. The Governor commissioned the rehabilitated and fully stocked General Hospital in Oquita – Oron, within 100 days in office. He also donated brand new vehicles to the Akwa Ibom State Police command to help enhance security patrol and coverage of the State.

5) It is quite embarrassing that Nkereuwem Enyongekere would feign ignorance that he is not aware of these tangible projects. Should he wish to continue to clad himself with his self-imposed ignorance about the existence of these projects, can he also certainly say he is unaware of the resounding success of the just concluded education summit organised by Governor Emmanuel led administration?

6) Governor Emmanuel cannot be deterred by musings of non-achieving armchair critics like the APC Publicity Secretary. We can vouch that the governor does not rest on his oars, concerning the development and uplift of the standard of living in Akwa Ibom State.

7) Enyongekere and his party should be ashamed that why they are busy in their goose chase, seeking what lies to fabricate against Governor Udom Emmanuel, his counterpart in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Barr. Ini Ememobong is busy empowering Akwa Ibom people with funds for business and scholarships.

The APC in Akwa Ibom State has had tonnes of appointments from the federal government from 2015, but the party has not yet seen the need to empower a single youth in the State, despite the fact its main opponent the PDP, is reeling out packages to encourage Small and Medium Scale Businesses and entrepreneurs, almost in a weekly basis.

APC in Akwa Ibom State exists merely to find faults and criticize everything ignorantly, albeit, with very repulsive use of English language.

8) The election has since been concluded and winners announced. Now is time for governance. So, we at Akwa Ibom Liberation Movement will love to see the APC-led federal government complete the Calabar – Itu Road, which it made a campaign issue during the presidential campaigns.

9) The APC should know that development does not rest on the shoulders of one man alone. If the leadership of the party in Akwa Ibom has any sense of responsibility, it should commit itself to attract federal government presence to the State rather than continue to embarrass her members with its once-a-week armchair and falsehood- ridden press statements.

Vanguard