2019: Issues in Akwa Ibom Politics
The race for Akwa Ibom Hilltop Government House between the PDP and the APC has gone a notch up with high stakes, writes Segun James
Since its creation 31 years ago, today (September 23, 1987) by the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida regime, Akwa Ibom State has made huge progress in terms of physical and infrastructure development. Much of this growth was made in the last 20 years of democracy. Also, much of the progress has been attributed to the works of former governor Obang Victor Attah, an architect, who is believed to have designed the state’s development master plan, which his successor, Mr. Godswill Akpabio built upon.
A first time visitor to Uyo, the state capital would find a city that is a beauty to behold – neat and serene. Right from the Ibom Airport to the city centre, there are numerous dual carriage ways and well-paved inner city access roads.
However, behinds these aesthetics are rots, which are disguised by the fine paints and outer structures. Most of the structures are empty shells. The worse is that all of these are buildings and structures constructed by the government of Akpabio, who couldn’t complete them by the time he left office.
It was Akpabio, who embarked on so many ambitious projects, which he couldn’t finish by the end of his tenure, but assumed that his handpicked successor, Governor Udom Emmanuel would help finish.
While Attah was systematic in his efforts in building the state, particularly the capital, Uyo into a modern city, Akpabio on his part was in a hurry to develop the state. That is the reason the state is dotted with many uncompleted projects, which he wanted Emmanuel to finish.
This is where, observers claimed the problem between Akpabio and Emmanuel began and today, this is the problem that Udom Emmanuel has had to contend with as the people keep asking: where are your own legacy projects?
Akwa Ibom is the richest state in the country outside Lagos State. It produces the highest oil quota in the country and collects the highest percentage of federal allocation and derivation fund. In fact, on the average, the state collects over N17bn monthly, an amount more than the entire allocations of the five states of the South-east.
Today, the question on the lips of the average Akwa Ibom person is what has Emmanuel got to show for his fours in office and over one trillion in capital allocation?
This is coming as his political mentor, Akpabio, has jumped ship to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) and has in concert with the former deputy governor of the state, Obong Nsima Ekere, been waging war of attrition against him. But will the governor be able to survive this onslaught? That is the question as events leading to the 2019 general election inch close.
Thus, in the last 20 years, Akwa Ibom has been blessed with three governors, all coming from the stable of the PDP. But will the 2019 election proved a change in the state as it was at the national level in 2015? This is the question. Obong Victor Attah: 1999 – 2007 Attah is often described as the father of modern Akwa Ibom, because he designed the master plan for state and the state capital territory. He also was instrumental to the creation of the state and set in motion the building and rebuilding of Uyo, then an old provincial town into a modern metropolitan city. Among the numerous assets he built are the Central Business District, which consists of parks and business concerns in the center of the town.
The Ibom Airport was initiated by him and work on it was about 40 per cent completed by the time he left office. The airport was later completed by the Akpabio administration. Attah also built the Ibom Power Plant which today is connected to the national grid, and contributes to the electricity supply in the state. Akwa Ibom was one of the first states to build their own power plant.
The Ibom Hotel & Golf Course is the first five-star hotel in the South-south region. It has the largest golf course in West Africa. His administration also built some network of roads including Nwaniba Road, Edet Akpan Avenue, Nsikaka Eduok, Atiku Abubakar, IBB Avenue, and many others. In all of its eight years, the Attah administration earned about N900 billion programme, even as 10 sports centres are under construction. There are also the pencil and toothpick factories and the Ibom Deep Seaport under construction among many other projects.