By Chioma Onuegbu, Uyo

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has explained that his administration is looking for development partners because the monthly federal allocation alone won’t help them achieve all they want to do for the State.

Eno spoke while fielding questions from newsmen at the Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo, on his return from the 8th Political Summit held at the House of Commons Westminster Palace, London.

He explained that the three -day summit was of huge advantage to Akwa Ibom State as it provided him an ample opportunity to attract investors and development partners to the State.

He stressed that as a delegate at the summit seized the opportunity of having several multinational agencies and Aid organisations in one spot to market the State and convince relevant organisations on the State’s readiness for partnership.

His words: “Every opportunity we have, marketing the state’s potential is what we are doing. Not just that we are looking for investors.We are looking for development partners. That is what is important. And we must understand that the monthly allocation alone can not do all we want to do.

“As we meet this sustainable development goals, there are development partners out there that want to hear your story, see what you are doing and you build trust because the problem with Africa is the trust issue.

“So we go out there, meet these organisations, talk with them. They want to know what you can do differently from what others are doing in the past. So we believe it was a successful meeting.

“We used the opportunity also to meet with the Akwa Ibom indigenes in the diaspora. It is very important. A lot of them are professionals and always want to help in the development of the State and country.

” If you look at the foreign Direct investment from the diaspora that came into the country in the previous years, you will find out that it was a large chunk. And if we keep leaving our own people, we are losing parts of that large chunk”