Akwa Ibom: Numerous Reasons To Vote Governor Udom Emmanuel

Udom Emmanuel ran successfully for the office of governor in the April 2015 elections on the platform of Akwa Ibom State People's Democratic Party.

Governor Udom Emmanuel

Udom Gabriel Emmanuel (born 11 July 1966) is the incumbent governor of Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria, in office since 29 May 2015.

He ran successfully for the office of governor in the April 2015 elections on the platform of Akwa Ibom State People’s Democratic Party.

Emmanuel was elected governor of Akwa Ibom State on 11 April 2015.

He was sworn in on 29 May 2015.

When on May 29, 2015, Mr. Udom Gabriel Emmanuel took office as governor of Akwa Ibom State, he presented a five-point agenda of wealth creation, job creation, poverty alleviation, political and economic inclusiveness and infrastructural consolidation, as a blueprint for the development of the state.

For just about 22 months on saddle, the Governor has not left anyone in doubt as to his mission of translating his campaign promises to affect lives, thereby ensuring that government is seen as a force for good.

Below are the sectoral achievements of the present administration, so far:

AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SUFFICIENCY

This leading sector of the country’s economy is not treated lightly by the state.

The objective is to ensure food sufficiency and security as well as diversify from petro-dollar to an agro-based economy. To this end, the Udom Emmanuel administration has achieved the following:

Re-introduction of second planting season for enhanced food production and sufficiency.
Refurbishment and upgrading of three 10mt/day cassava processing factories in the 3 Senatorial Districts
Cultivation of 40 hectares of seed multiplication cassava farm in the Senatorial Districts to provide free stems to farmers.
Distribution of improved oil palm and cocoa seedlings to farmers in the state.
Extension of technical advisory services to about 350 fish farms in the State, as well as the cultivation of 300 hectares of cassava under the FADAMA III+ Financing Programme.
Establishment of Special Cocoa Maintenance Scheme (SCMS) for the training of farmers and youths on pruning/shade management, under brushing, and tree care by fumigation, to ensure improvement of yields from 300 kilogram/hectare to 2000kg/ha over 3 years period.
Zoning and mapping of the cocoa producing communities in the State, and sensitization of cocoa farmers in the 24 cocoa producing local government areas in the State.
Holding of sensitization programmes for Field Extension Officers of the Ministry of Agriculture, and those of Akwa Ibom State Agric Development Programme (AKADEP).
Importation of 1000 bags of special cocoa fertilizers from Ghana for optimal yield.
Delivery of 1000 bags of special cocoa fertilizers in September 2016.
Distribution of training kits to all participants at practical field training on cocoa.
Signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Sand Carlos of Mexico to develop 1000 hectares of cocoa farms and cocoa nursery in the State.

EDUCATION

Education is at the core of any modern development. Aware of this reality, the government has invested much resources and efforts in ensuring that the education of Akwa Ibom children is given the necessary commitment.

The following are achievements in the subsector:

Free, compulsory and qualitative education policy in public primary and secondary schools in the state
Collaboration with the Federal Government to implement the Home Grown School Feeding programme in the State’s public primary schools.
Training of School Inspectors, Education Officers and Principals, on quality assurance and best practices, in education in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education, UNICEF, UNESCO, etc.
Training of officers in Examination and Certification Division of the Ministry on ICT and computerization of examination result.
Training of 30 indigenes of Akwa Ibom State on ICT in India.
Accreditation of courses in the state’s tertiary institutions and public technical schools.
Training of primary school teachers on effective classroom management skills, basic classroom teaching methods and techniques, language communication skills and Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
Organization of a 2-day Advocacy Workshop on Structure and Effective Implementation of the new Senior Secondary School Curricula in collaboration with the Nigerian Education Research and Development Council (NERDC), Abuja.
Payment of Subvention to all School Heads and Principals of Public Primary and Post-Primary Schools at the rate of N100.00 per pupil and N300.00 per student per term;
Generation of reliable inputs through reports from Quality Assurance Inspectors and Evaluators for renovation and rehabilitation of schools by the Inter-Ministerial Direct Labour Co-ordinating Committee;
Procurement and distribution of free exercise books, textbooks and other educational materials, to public and private schools in key subjects like Mathematics, English Language and the Sciences;
Payment of examination fees and scholarships to students of Akwa Ibom State origin in tertiary institutions;
Provision of grants and laptops to Medical and Law Students respectively;
Revalidation of private schools in the state to ensure maintenance of standards and quality control;
Production of a Handbook for Chaplains in Schools as a prelude to introduction of Chaplaincy Services in public secondary schools;
Development of Ibibio Language curriculum;
Conduct of verification exercise by the Ministry of Education to ascertain the actual number of pupils in public schools in the State.

WORKS AND INFRASTRUCTURE

The policy thrust of the Administration in this subsector is provision of adequate people-friendly infrastructure that would benefit the people directly, and at the same time be investment-beckoning.

To realize this, the Ministry of Works has posted a great showing in the areas of construction and maintenance of roads/bridges and drainages; provision of electricity and fire service facilities.

The following are the achievements in the sector:

Emergency intervention in gully erosion site along Calabar-Itu Road at Enen Atai, Itu LGA through direct labour.
Emergency intervention in gully erosion ravaging the school of Nursing, Anua, Uyo by direct labour initiative.
Construction of 3.5km Ikot Udom road with 15m span bridges in Ibiono Ibom LGA.
Construction of 5km Ikot Usop-Ikot Edeghe-Ikot Ekpuk Road with 30m span bridges in Mkpat Enin LGA.
Construction of the 5km Mkpok-Okat Road in ONNA LGA.
Emergency works in the completion of outfall, and urban roads in Oron.
Reconstruction of knocked down 33kv inter-town connection (ITC) to Oron at Ifa Atai.
Maintenance and operation of street lights in Uyo, Abak, Ikot Ekpene and Oron metropolis.
Dualization of Uyo-Etinan Road
Construction/remodeling of selected roads, strategic round-about/junctions in Eket metropolis (Phases I & II)
Construction of internal roads in Cornelia Connelly College (CCC), Afaha Oku-Uyo.
Construction of Etinan-Ekpene Obom (QIC Leprosy Hospital) Road.
Construction/dualization of Etinan-ONNA Road with 2 Nos Bridges.
Construction of Ikot Ebekpo-Ikot Ebidang Road in ONNA LGA with spur to East-West Road.
Contract for dualization of Oron/Nung Atai Eta Road.
Dualization of Uyo-Ndon Eyo Road with 2 bridges and spur to Nkana, Etinan.
Construction of Uyo outfall drain Phase II, to de-flood Ewet Housing Estate, part of Osongama, Edet Akpan Street up to Tropicana.
Construction of Awa Iman-Asong-Ikot Edim-Ikot Emem Road with spur to ONNA LGA.
Construction of 3 bridges along Mbiasor-Nto Edino-Ekereazu Road in Obot Akara LGA.
Contract for the construction of Uruting Junction-Offioro Utine-Eyekung Road in Okobo LGA.
Award of contract for the construction of Nung Atai Eta-Atabong Jetty Road.
Award of contract for the construction of Ikot Inyang Itung-Ekpene Ibia-Nung Oku-Adadia Beach Road.
Construction of School of Arts & Science Road, Nung Ukim, Ikono LGA.

INVESTMENT, COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

Within the period under review, the government has achieved the following in the Investment, Commerce and Industry sub-sector:

Assisted and developed MSMEs, through training for acquisition of skills through related bodies like IDC and SMEDAN.
Facilitated increased businesses in the state resulting in improved internally generated revenue profile of government.
Procured produce inspection/grading tools for the State Produce Department.
Engaged in capacity building/training of entrepreneurs and informal sector operators;
Inaugurated Akwa Ibom State Council on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to collaborate with the National Council on MSMEs in the implementation of MSMEs policy in the State.
Set up Business Support Centre in collaboration with SMEDAN located at Esuene Close, off Esuene Street, Uyo, to provide services to Akwa Ibom business community.
Collaborated with CFC/UNIDO/FGN on the establishment of a 2-Ton per hour Palm Oil Processing Mill with a one-ton per hour nutcracker and a 500kg per hour kernel press at Ukana, Essien Udim L.G.A.
Developed a good working relationship with the organized private sector operators such as the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture; Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), National Association of Small Scale Industrialists (NASSI), National Association of Women Entrepreneur (NAWE), National Association of Small and Medium Scale Enterprise (NASME), etc.
Generating statistical (produce) data for economic planning and development.
Actively participating in national policy-making through the National Council on Industry, Trade and Investment (NCITI).
Buying-back and reactivating some government-owned ailing industries, particularly Peacock Paints Ltd, Etinan.
Involved in the groundbreaking ceremony for the establishment of Coconut Plantation and Refinery located in an area within Ikot Abasi, Mkpat Enin, and Eastern Obolo L.G.A.
Maintaining structures/facilities/equipment in government-owned ailing industries pending subsequent reaction/privatization.

HEALTH CARE

Health is an aphorism for wealth. In realization of this, government accords great to the health of the people. The following are achievements in the sub sector:

Awareness campaign on non-communicable diseases: Tremendous awareness of health issues of hypertension, sickle cell disease, cancer and diabetes mellitus, has been created among members of the public regarding their causes, treatment and prevention.
Co-ordination of a twenty–one a-21-day (11th – 30th, January, 2016) free eye care and treatment programme with MTN Foundation at Ibom Hall, during which 15,350 (fifteen thousand, three hundred and fifty) people were screened for various eye diseases, 1150 eye surgeries performed, and 2000 eye glasses distributed.
Training of fifty (50) health staff comprising medical doctors, nurses, drivers and porters, on basic life support skills. The trainees underwent tutorials on emergency response skills. Two Basic Life support Training (BLST) were imparted on the trainees.
Strong participation of the state in the National Immunization Campaign Days.
Mobile Ambulance Service: This pilot programme operates under a Memorandum of Understanding between the state’s Ministry of Health and Nestle Nigeria PLC, and targets pregnant women, and children aged five (5) years and below.
Approval for training of forty-eight (48) House Officers was granted by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), and to be handled at the following institutions: General Hospital, Ikot Ekpene; General Hospital, Eket; and General Hospital, Oron. These institutions were given provisional accreditation. It is expected that full accreditation would be granted soonest.
Successful processing of admission of one hundred and fifty (150) candidates into Schools of Midwifery, and admission of two hundred and one (201) candidates into the Schools of Nursing for 2015/2016 academic year respectively.
Participation in Nursing and Midwifery Council Final Qualifying Examinations for General Nurses and Midwives in which Akwa Ibom State scored 100% in both.
Matriculation and capping of 2014 in-take Student Nurses.
Provision of Intervention Items and amenities to health institutions in the State: These include; 50 customized mattresses, 50 pillows and two desk top computers forSchool of Midwifery, Anua, Uyo; 30 student desks, 10 customized mattresses and 10 pillows for School of Nursing, Anua, Uyo; Complete water reticulation for School of Nursing, Ikot Ekpene; 50 Student Desks for School of Nursing, Eket; 25 customized mattresses, 25 pillows and 4 desktop computers for School of Midwifery, Ituk Mbang as well as 70 customized mattresses and 70 Pillows for School of Midwifery, Oron.
The State has since June 2015 commenced payment of Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) to medical and dental practitioners in its employ.
Handling of necessary rent matters in the health sector.

CULTURE AND TOURISM

With tourism as the fastest growing economy globally, the Udom Emmanuel government is not relenting in boosting the sub-sector to attract investors and tourists.

Below are results yielded so far:

Hosing the 2016 National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST), with the state taking the second position in the overall competitive performance at that event, which had as its theme; “Exploring the Goldmine Inherent in Nigerian Creative Industries”.
Organizing Maize Festivals (Usoro Abakpa) in 2016.
Hosting Arts and Craft Exhibition (Akwa Uso) in 2016.
Hosting Akwa Ibom Food Fair and Beverages Exhibition 2016.
Emerging best overall participating State at the Arts and Culture Exhibition (AFAC Expo) 2015, held in Abuja.
Attended the World Travel Market (Excel London), an international Tourism Exhibition Market in London, where she exhibited her abundant arts and craft work, as well as marketed her tourism potentials to attract foreign investments.
Attended the AKWAABA FAIR in Lagos. The fair provided the state an opportunity to exhibit its rich arts, craft and tourism potentials to the global market.
Production of a Tourism Guide, which records the State’s culture and tourism development efforts, as well as her abundant potentials in the sector.

WOMEN AFFAIRS AND SOCIAL WELFARE

The following are on the credit side of the Women Affairs and Social welfare performance score card from the inception of the Administration:

Care for more than seven hundred (700) orphans and under-privileged children, some of who are now studying in institutions of higher learning, in the five state-funded Homes. The Homes are: Special Children’s Home, Uyo; Divine Children’s Home, Uyo; Correctional Centre, Uyo; Shelter Afrique Transit Camp, Uyo and Government Children’s Home, Ikot Ekpene.
Playing host to a Women’s Leadership Retreat that focused on training women in different areas of leadership skills and expectations.
Evacuation, Rehabilitation and Re-integration of One Hundred and Sixty (160) lunatics. All were empowered; about 70% who were not from Akwa Ibom State were taken to their States.
Sensitization against Child Abuse, Child Trafficking, Child Abandonment and Baby factory racketeering in the State, with the theme; “The Rights of the Child: A Collective Responsibility”. The second phase of the sensitization held in September 2016, had the theme: “Our Children, Our Future: End Child Abuse.” Participants included school children, parents, traditional rulers, pastors, teachers, etc. It was one of the strategies for the implementation and enforcement of the rights of children in the state.
Training of 10 visually-impaired persons in different skills at the Nigerian Farm Craft Centre, Lagos, who were subsequently empowered to start up their own personal businesses.
Sponsorship of 155 widows to Israel on pilgrimage.
Celebration of the 2016 International Women’s Day, which witnessed, among other things: financial empowerment of widows across the State.
Training of Secondary schools girls on Career Counselling and the Dignity of the girl child.
Seminar on breast and cervical cancers, as well as free medical screening of breast and cervical cancers.
Capacity Building Workshop on Women’s Rights and Widowhood Inheritance.
Celebration of the 2016 Armed Forces Remembrance Day in the State.
Renovation and furnishing of the Homes and the Women Development Centre.
Celebration of the International White Cane Safety Day. White Canes were given to 350 visually impaired persons in the State. Provision of Braille Machines, tape recorders, laptops with Jaws to visually impaired undergraduate students as well as financial assistance to them.
Provision of over fifty (50) wheel chairs and fifty (50) special writing desks for physical challenged persons in tertiary institutions and Secondary Schools. Sixty-two (62) persons with disabilities, two from each LGA were also empowered.
Implementation of the Child Rights Law. A law to protect the rights of a child and other related matters. Prosecution of child’s rights offenders in collaboration with the Akwa Ibom State Judiciary and Ministry of Justice, Security Services, Police etc. The cases include: Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Child Abandonment and Trafficking, Maternal/Paternity issues, Rape, Baby Factory Operation and dis-inheritance. Over 200 cases have been recorded since 29th May 2015. About one hundred and twenty (120) have received judgments. Some offenders had served their jail term.
Family Tracing and Re-integration of over 60 abandoned children within and outside the State.
Support to Multiple Birth Parents; over 300 multiple birth parents were provided with care and financial support.
Celebration of International Day of Persons with Disabilities (Physically challenged): Blind, Deaf, Dumb and those in the Leprosy hospital. Empowerment of members of this Association with basic amenities for their overall wellbeing such as: provision of wheel chairs; provision of Braille machines; financial packages to each cluster as well as accessories for saloon and generators to members.
Election and inauguration of the Children’s Parliament as the mouth piece of the children in all the LGAs of the State.
Mentoring Forum for Female Students in all higher institutions in the State.
Community dialogues were carried out with men and women in LGAs.
Care for the Nigerian Legion Widows
Training of Children’s Parliament in the 31 Local Government Areas
Celebration of International Day of Families.
Celebration of 2016 Children’s Day
A two-day Focused Group Discussion with Adolescents in the three (3)Senatorial Districts, Uyo, Eket and Ikot Ekpene in collaboration with UNICEF.
Inauguration of Orphans and Vulnerable Children Technical Working Group.
Donation of wrappers to 1,000 members of Market Women Frontline.
Donation of Wheel Chairs to Persons with Disabilities in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development. Wheel Chairs were given to the physically handicapped persons and other mobility aids.
Renovation and furnishing of the Children’s Homes and the Women Development Centre.