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| Obong Chris Ekpenyong |
Chris Ekpenyong, the former deputy
governor of Akwa Ibom State,
has asked the current administration of Governor Godswill Akpabio to urgently
address the issue of capital flight and the increasing level of poverty and
hunger in the state.
In an interview that could be
viewed as being highly critical of the administration of Governor Godswill
Akpabio, Obong Chris Ekpenyong said: “I am not attacking the government, but I
am saying they have to review their policies; the policies should have human
face. The policies should touch on the lives of Akwa Ibom people.”
The interview, published in the
August 23, 2013 edition of Global Concord newspaper, is likely to cause
discomfort within the administration of Godswill Akpabio because Chris
Ekpenyong, one of the most influential Akwa Ibom politicians, is from the same
Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District with Akpabio, and such critical remarks may
open the floodgate of more verbal attacks on the governor especially now that
he is battling to contend the negative impact of his strained relationship with
estranged right hand man, Mr. Umana Okon Umana, the former secretary to the
Akwa Ibom State government.
“Yes, they have done roads, they
have built cinema halls like Tropicana but we have to make sure that life is
meaningful for the people of Akwa Ibom State. I don’t know how many can afford
three square meals daily in Akwa Ibom State,” says Chris Ekpenyong who was the
deputy governor during the administration of Obong Victor Attah.
Chris Ekpenyong says Akpabio’s
administration has done ‘marginally well’ but it was “yet to put Akwa Ibom on
the map of economic self-reliance and self-sustenance”.
“I think whatever Julius Berger is doing in Akwa Ibom, whatever Setraco is doing in Akwa Ibom, whatever CCECC is doing in Akwa Ibom because I am told most of those jobs were done by (Vincent) Ogbulafor (former PDP national chairman) and the rest of them, I still believe that people in Akwa Ibom have all these materials that the government can utilize them and also use them in developing Akwa Ibom State.
“Could you imagine if you give
Obong Ekidem (Ekidem Bros) electrification contract, do you know the fallout
from that, how it will affect the people? Do you know that if you give Basse
Engineering (owned by Engr. Bassey Ekanem) and Jackie Jay contracts, the
fallout will impact positively on the people of Akwa Ibom? That is how you can
create wealth.“I think whatever Julius Berger is doing in Akwa Ibom, whatever Setraco is doing in Akwa Ibom, whatever CCECC is doing in Akwa Ibom because I am told most of those jobs were done by (Vincent) Ogbulafor (former PDP national chairman) and the rest of them, I still believe that people in Akwa Ibom have all these materials that the government can utilize them and also use them in developing Akwa Ibom State.
“If you pick Jackie Jay, if you
pick Jackson Davos, if you pick Emem & Sons, both old wine and new wine,
bring them closer to government and encourage them by awarding contracts to
them you will see how the multiplier effects will touch the lives of the
people. But if we continue to rely on Julius Berger, Setraco and Stemco, it
amount to capital flight and that is why you find out that when government does
not release salaries to even the workers, because the resources of Akwa Ibom do
not remain here, they are taken outside Nigeria.”
The former deputy governor who
described himself in the interview as being among ‘the real owners of PDP in
Akwa Ibom State’ said “I fall into the group of those advocating for an
uncommon leadership, I am not talking of the uncommon transformation you people
talk about. He mentioned humility, ability to listen to others in spite of
political leanings and differences and the ability to impact on people’s life
as being the quality of uncommon leadership.
“We should not only give guns to
the youth. I am not saying that the government gives guns but I found out that
most of the youth want to be relevant. Every youth in Akwa Ibom today is
aspiring to become a P.A to the governor, a P.A to the commissioner, a P.A to
the P.A, and nobody wants to work with their hands.”
Ekpenyong also criticized what he
sees as lopsidedness in the Akpabio’s infrastructural effort in the state. “I
want to also see that most of these things are duplicated in border local
government areas, particularly the borders LGA’s of Obot Akara, Oruk Anam and
Ukanafun. I have not passed through there to Port Harcourt few days ago I just
found out that the federal road is still as it was.”
Culled from Weekly Insight newspaper
The past governments fail to do anything because they awarded contracts to indigenes of the state, who pocketed the money and did nothing about the contract. I think Akpabio is doing the right thing.
ReplyDeleteJulius Berger or whosoever could still be relevant as consultants over indigenous firms. This, Chinese revolution adopted and it worked. Second, you do not attract industries by winning personal laurels; but by showcasing and propagating your peoples' resources - human and natural, and by putting the right peg in the right hole. Business development has turned mafia and there's no business mafia in Akpabio's setup.
ReplyDelete............Ekpeyong is partially correct, I believe Akpabio should open up, mix thie contract up, foreign and local........ then People will see the difference. I believe the indigenous company will seat up. I see this as a positive critizism, Akpabio administration should reviews its policies....all youth wanna be PA now.
ReplyDeleteYes it true people are hungry, but govt dont feed people. Govt should create enabling environment for bizness, Forget industries because no industry will be effective with out electricity. Cotonou, Benin, ghanians are doing building houses in Akwa Ibom, In Eket Filipinos are doing blue colar jobs.
What abt the technical school, Electrifiction, home finishing, welding, pipe fitting, fabrications, capenters......... we need to go back to drawing board.
This is the same argument we have had for decades at both Continental and National levels. I also wish to see indigenous contractors handle major projects in Akwa Ibom state, but I know that most of the people agitating for them are all POLITICAL CONTRACTORS,i.e the ones who will collect mobilization from their friends in office, and carry away as their own share, and will not deliver the jobs. Even the former Deputy Governor who is critisizing now, is guilty of the same things. Sticking strictly to the point of awarding contracts to indigenous contractors; how many who have been given contracts or amongst the so-called indigenous contractors in the past, and I mean right from the time of even South-Eastern state, how many are still working? I bet you cannot count them on the fingers of one hand! You know why? Because most of them are in the same mould: collect advance payment, ignore the project, and buy jeeps all over Uyo, buy houses in Abuja, and drink champagne in Paris. When the money finishes, they lobby for another contract and the cycle continues. When wahala bursts, they disappear. I don't care a hoot about Akpabio, but let him continue to award MAJOR projects to Julius Berger, Setraco, CCECC; it is the only way they will be delivered O! He can award MINOR ones to the indigenous contractors, so that when they fail (as they will) the people will not suffer too much.
ReplyDeleteJust my humble opinion.
How much food did you give Akwa Ibom people when you were governor? And the contracts you gave to indigenes, where are the completed contracts today? You can not do things the same way, and expect a different result. Sentiment aside, the developments in Akwa Ibom we now enjoy and are proud off, were not gotten in sentiment. Gov. Akpabio will continue to use trustworthy companies to get the jobs done.
ReplyDelete