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The people of Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State on Friday drew the attention of the Peoples Democratic  Party’s gubernatorial aspirant Pastor, Umo Eno, to the neglect and marginalisation they have been suffering for decades and pleaded with him to reverse it once he becomes the governor of the state next year.

The Ibiono people made the plea when  Pastor Eno consulted the political leadership and stakeholders of Ibiono Ibom LGA at Use Ndon ahead of the governorship primaries scheduled for May 2022.

Speaking on behalf of the Ibiono Ibom people, the member representing Ibiono Ibom State Constituency in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Hon. Godwin Ekpo lamented the serial neglect of his constituency by past governments of Akwa Ibom State but assured Umo Eno that Ibiono Ibom will strongly support him in the PDP primaries and subsequent elections that will follow.

“In the 2019 election, this is the local government that gave the highest votes to PDP. But there is nothing to show. The truth must be told that for 8 years, the local government that gave the highest vote to PDP has not gotten one thing. And people believe that we should be very happy and tell the government you have done so well. There is no road, nothing is working here, no state presence. No bank in Ibiono. Even the Technical College that was closed down, up till today, has not been opened and we are told it works in progress”, Ekpo said.
The lawmaker called on Umo Eno to take more developmental projects to the  LGA that will give him the highest votes at the coming election. “Your Excellency-to–be Sir (Umo Eno), when you become governor, distribute your developmental infrastructure based on the local government area that will give you the highest votes.
When you look at the faces of Ibiono Ibom people here, I am telling you that they are not happy. I am speaking for Ibiono Ibom people and it will be a disservice if I don’t tell you the truth now that you have not been sworn-in so that when you are sworn-in you will remember what Godwin Ekpo told you”, Ekpo said. In an apparent attempt to give both Ekpo and Eno some soft landing, in the LGA that is home to Senator Bassey Akpan, who is also a governorship aspirant, Ini Enemobong, the State Commissioner for Information and Strategy said though the LGA has been neglected in projects, the incumbent governor has appointed a good number of Ibiono Ibom people into key positions in his government. “We are a very organized people here. Before we came here, we had a meeting. So we put our heads together, we asked when our visitor (Umo Eno) comes, we know what he will say but what will our response be? People brought ideas and suggestions. It was agreed that Godwin Ekpo who speaks for us in the House of Assembly wasn’t meant to speak only in the chambers of the Assembly but also at any gathering of the Ibiono Ibom people. So, when he spoke, he didn’t speak for himself, he spoke for the community (Ibiono Ibom). I’m saying this so that what he has said won’t affect his (second term) ambition, he said.
Ememobong however thanked the governor for the many political appointments he has given to indigenes of the local government.
“But we had also agreed to thank the governor because we are better in some aspects. When it comes to appointments for Ibiono Ibom people, he has done very well”, Ememobong said.

“I AM YOUR ADOPTED SON;
“I AM HOME TO MY PEOPLE”
Speaking in an emotion-laden voice both in English and vernacular, Umo Eno declared himself an adopted son of Ibiono Ibom. “I am your adopted son.I am home to my people”, he said.

He said before he was anointed by Governor Emmanuel key elders in Ibiono Ibom, including the Information Commissioner’s father Mkpisong Ememibong, had personally endorsed and prayed for his emergence as Akwa Ibom governor.

” I feel comfortable being around these great people. See me as your adopted son.  Ibiono is home to me. I am home to my people. Bless me and support my aspiration”.

Thereafter, Pastor Eno, a successful entrepreneur with more than 2000 employees in his companies promised to establish agro-based industries in Ibiono Ibom to promote the agricultural value chain of the area as the food basket of Akwa Ibom State. He also promised to complete all the projects that previous administrations initiated in the area.

In his opening remarks, the Director-General of Campaigns for Umo Eno, Amb. Assam (SAN), described Ibiono Ibom as a community rooted in culture, tradition and religion with a people of conviction. He called on them to adopt, endorse and support Pastor Umo Eno.

On his part, the National Chairman of Maintain Peace Movement (MPM), Barr. Emmanuel Enoidem said the emergence of Pastor Umo Eno is the will of God and as believers in God, they are bound to accept the will of God in good faith.