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JOE EFFIONG, UYO
The immediate past Commissioner for Economic Development and Ibom Deep Seaport in Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Akan Okon, has said his candidacy will stabilize the polity as well as douse the controversy surrounding which zone in the state should produce the governor in 2023.
Okon, from Itu/Ibiono federal constituency, considered politically disadvantaged with regard to governorship position since the state was created, told chapter officers and statutory delegates of the PDP in Nsit Ubium and Nsit Ibom LGAs during his ongoing consultation that the strong agitation for the governorship by the federal constituency and the interest shown by governorship aspirants would end with him as candidate of the party.
“Itu/Ibiono Ibom has made a strong case for the governorship in 2023, and we also have many aspirants from Nsit Ubium and Nsit Ibom. I am from Itu and my wife is from Nsit Ubium. If Itu produces the Governor, that means the First Lady will come from Nsit Ubium. That will douse the tension because the two federal constituencies will have the Governor and First Lady”, Okon said.
Stressing that he would leverage on his wealth of expertise and experiences in government to provide the best solutions to the challenges facing every sector in the state if given the opportunity to serve as governor, the governorship hopeful said having worked as commissioner in six ministries, he better understands what should be done to add to what the current administration is doing in the areas of job creation, food sufficiency, education, security, industrialisation and human capacity development.
He enumerated some of the ministries he had served as commissioner to include, Finance, Economic Development, Housing and Urban Renewal, Special Duties, Aviation Development, and Economic Development and Ibom Deep Seaport being the last from which he resigned to early this month to contest for the governorship of the State.
Also while addressing his hometown, Mbiatok Itam, Itu local government area, during the official commencement of his consultations, he said public service experience should count in the choice of who becomes the next governor of the state.
“At 34 years, Akwa Ibom State cannot afford to be an experimental field where people come to learn leadership in public service. We need someone who has been around and understudied the various sectors of the State’s economy, and also understands the challenges that our people are facing so that from day one, he will hit the ground running in embarking on those policies and programmes that will lead to an improvement in the standard of living of our people.”
“I have served in six ministries and in each of those ministries God helped me to deliver on all the projects assigned to me. Through my experience in public service, which God made it possible through His Excellency, Governor Udom Emmanuel, I know the challenges facing this state and I will provide the best solutions to them.”
Running on the theme, “Value added leadership and shared prosperity”, Mr Okon said he will continue with the strategic development of the three gateways into the state – land, air and sea – to ensure even development and job creation.
“Our state has three development gateways and my God’s special grace I have worked in ministries that supervised all these three gateways. We will expand development in air, land, and sea, so that every part of the state can experience even development.”
He said he would ensure improvement in security and the ease of doing business in the State, and will invest in large-scale agriculture, create incubation hubs as means of creating jobs and ensuring food security.
Mr. Okon thanked his family, village and the party in his ward and Itu local government area, and the traditional institution in Itu local government for the warm reception accorded him and his ‘One With God’ campaign team.
