From Fred Itua, Abuja
Twenty principal officers of the National Assembly have converged on Ikot-Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State for a retreat.
The leaders in all sectors in the state, including businessmen, and other professionals have asked the lawmakers to adopt the infrastructure development legacy of the immediate past governor, Udom Emanuel, as a template in formulating legislative policies for national development.
The eminent personality group, under the aegis of Professionals for Development in Akwa Ibom, believes that such infrastructure developments that abound in the state constitute the major attraction for the Senate to choose Akwa Ibom as the destination for their retreat.
The retreat which began, yesterday, was arranged by the the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), as a retooling opportunity for the new leadership of the National Assembly.
Leading a pack of 20 leaders of the federal legislature to the retreat is the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and the House of Representatives Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas.
National Coordinator of the group, Ufot Akan Umoren, in a pre-retreat goodwill message to the federal lawmakers said they will witness the massive infrastructure development that created a legacy of leadership left behind by the immediate past governor of the state.
“From the point of take-off to Uyo, Akwa Ibom capital, our distinguished senators will be boarding aircraft of one of the most efficient airlines in Nigeria, the Ibom Air, established by Udom Emmanuel.
“From the city of Uyo, the lawmakers will be driving to Ikot-Ekpene for their retreat through a 25-kilometre Uyo-Ikot Ekpene dual carriage thoroughfare express road constructed by Julius Berger PLC., under Emmanuel.
“The venue of the retreat, the famous state-of-the-art Four Points by Sheraton, Ikot Ekpene, which was a carcass; abandoned by a previous administration before Emmanuel reactivated, completed the building and invited Four Points by Sheraton thus turning the then moribund structure to a first class in the tourism and hospitality sector in Nigeria.
“Such development-oriented disposition to governance as is the driving template behind the array of legacy projects in critical productive and service sectors of infrastructure, manufacturing, education, hospitality, healthcare, power, housing among others, which formed the solid foundation upon which the current administration of Governor Umo Eno is moving the state to greater heights.
“As governor, Emmanuel successfully carved Akwa Ibom as a demonstration of innovative and purposeful leadership that can serve as a reference point for national development.
“We, therefore, urge the lawmakers to adopt Emmanuel’s pattern of achievements as a template for national development, especially in the highly specialised production sectors,” the professionals said.