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From Joe Effiong, Uyo
Akwa Ibom State Governor Mr Udom Emmanuel has described as unfair and immature recent calls for the state government to pay compensation for property owners on the Odukpani-Itu highway.
The governor has also expressed his concern that Akwa Ibom, producing more than 35% of the nation’s oil, has not been considered unqualified to enjoy the full gains of the Petroleum Profit Tax of which it has remained a major contributor.
Speaking at an interactive session with journalists on Monday evening, Emmanuel said; “How do you expect a state to pay compensation to properties on a road being constructed by the Federal Government? Who did the valuation and is that the practice?”
“The contract sum for that road could have been enough for me to take the road towards Aba. So I am calling on our people not to allow themselves to be intimidated by anybody. Always have the interest of the state at heart at all times.”
He called on indgenes of the state to always rise to the challenge of protecting the interest of the state at all times adding that the state deserves more from the federal government considering its enormous contribution to the Nigerian economy.
The governor who also expressed dissatisfaction with the inability of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC) to distribute power effectively in Akwa Ibom, said the state consumes less than 70MGW even as the state’s power plant has been producing 115MGW adding that the state government has also obtained licence to increase its power generation to 640MGW of electricity.
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“The good news however is that we have also obtained a distribution licence using a utility company so that we can distribute the power we generate effectively and achieve a 24 hour electricity supply to every part of the state in the shortest possible time,” he said.
He disclosed that the state government has spent over N1.2B to train a second batch of engineers and pilots from the state with aircraft manufacturers in a renewed move to reposition and increase the capacity of the state-owned airline, Ibom Air.
According to him; already a first batch of trainees are already undertaking the training meant to provide needed technical personnel in Nigeria’s flagship airline, the Ibom Air.
The governor who expressed joy at the strides of the airline within a short time said the MRO facility at the Victor Attach International Airport in Uyo would be ready before the end of the year and would help in making the state the aviation hub of the region.
He said the inability of the airline to acquire more aircrafts was due to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine as most financial systems are linked to Russia with the former Soviet Republic, however facing business and political sanctions and restrictions from many countries of the world.
“The state government is spending billions of Naira to train and prepare the best hands of our indegenes for the growing opportunities in the aviation sector and particularly Ibom Air. We have already sent the first batch of Engineers and Pilots to Airbus and the second batch is preparing to go.
“We are spending Billions to train these people and that’s why I don’t care to know which part of the state any of the trainees is from. Airbus also does not know the local government the trainees are from and if they find out that there are sentiments in the selection of the trainees they may decide to pull out.
We are even praying that they will be able to scale through their tests,” Emmanuel explained.
The governor said his administration has commenced alternative moves to acquire more aircrafts to boost the fleet of the airline inorder to build on the gains already made by the airline in the country’s aviation sector.
Emmanuel called for support for the state PDP candidate, Mr Umoh Enoh, adding that his passion for youth empowerment, experience in business and the corporate world would be good for the state in the coming years.
