Akwa Ibom State Government Set To Host ‘Ibom Dialogue’ July 24-27

*Assembles Experts, Stakeholders To Interpret A.R.I.S.E. Agenda

According to the sunnewsonline.com, the Akwa Ibom State government is to host a summit tagged “Ibom Dialogue” of subject matter experts and critical stakeholders to work out modalities for implementation of the administration’s A.R.I.S.E. agenda.

The A.R.I.S.E agenda comprises Agricultural Revolution, Rural Development, Infrastructural Maintenance/Advancement, Security Management and Educational Advancement.

Governor Umo Eno who announced this, Saturday, while addressing worshipers at the July edition of Government House monthly prayer summit held at Latter House Chapel, Government House, Uyo, said he had specifically reached out to the stakeholders in key sectors of development to converge for the summit scheduled for Monday 24th through Thursday 27th of July, 2023.

Gov Eno said that the summit would be void of political undertones as it is intended to bring Akwa Ibom people together to dissect the key components of his administration’s A.R. I.S.E. agenda blueprint, situate them in proper perspective, examine available roadmaps with a view to determining how best to achieve the goals.

Citing an example in the power sector, the governor said as a manager of resources he may not be an expert in all fields, but to ensure the state benefits optimally from the federal government policy on deregulation of power and achieve the power-for-all vision, it was necessary to bring subject matter experts on a round table to chat a way forward.

He said: “I will like to invite all of us to a programme we have tagged; Ibom Dialogue. It should begin on Monday 24th, and end on Thursday. Ibom Dialogue is to bring all of us together to discuss the A.R.I.S.E agenda of this administration; to examine and situate it in a proper perspective.

“We will look at the key vocal sectors and get subject matter experts to help us look at the A.R.I.S.E agenda; to determine the roadmap that we have and how best we can achieve our goals using that roadmap that we set for ourselves.

“The question is, do we have better options? Sometimes we don’t tend to have all the ideas. But we know what we want. There are people that have the experience and expertise and we are not ashamed to ask for a direction. A man who asks for direction does not miss the road, provided you ask the right people the right questions. That is what we must do with the A.R.I.S.E Agenda.

“Let us bring subject matter experts, let’s talk about power; how are we going to get power for all? How are we going to ensure that we benefit from the deregulation of power in this country? I may not be an expert. I won’t claim to be one. But I am a manager of human resources.

“So it is necessary that we bring the experts together and get them to tell us steps and things to do. We can list them as a roadmap and then go on to apply a timeline to it and make the budgets available.

“This is how to work. No governor will claim to know everything. But a governor succeeds when he works with the right people. That is what we want to do. Please clean up your calendar from the 24th. It is not a general kind of thing but for the people who are willing to contribute to the development of our State. It is not a political rally, but a critical professional gathering.”

He announced the state government‘s plans to activate a Geographical Information System, GIS, that captures all lands and indicates ownership so as to expedite approval of Certificates of Occupancy, to deserving citizens and access property status at just a click of a button.

“A lot of people have been talking to me about the Certificate of Occupancy and I need to explain that there is no Governor anywhere, even when His Excellency Deacon Udom Emmanuel delegated the authority that I signed C of O as a Commissioner for Lands, it was impossible to finish signing.

“Some days, you signed and signed just to discover that your signature becomes undulated because, in each file you picked, there are about four or five of them. So you can imagine how difficult it is.

“But there is good news on the way. That has been solved because before we left office, we started with the Akwa GIS, The Geographical Information System that captures all the lands in Akwa Ibom State and all of the ownership. And then, it makes it easier than on a touch of a button you sign the C of O that has been approved.

“We hope and trust God that we should be launching that sometime in August. We have worked very hard and also try to ensure that you verify your land directly from your phones, provided you pay the fund, not a lot of money though but it will be able to make it easier for us. When I launch the system, we will be able to sign as many of such documents as we possibly can”, Gov Eno assured.

The Governor cautioned leaders and members of dissolved non-statutory boards to disengage themselves from offices and desist from acting in their erstwhile capacities, reiterating his position in the June 21, 2023, official statement that such former appointees should handover to the most senior Civil Servant in the Board, except for statutory Boards or constituted Limited Liability Companies.

“I would also like to remind you that we have dissolved all non-statutory boards.

“You see, I am not the type that always likes to make some noise and carry everything around me because power is transient. That is why people have a lot of problems exiting power. I want to remain a very normal person in spite of my position.

“I understand that some people still go to the office and write memos and send them to me even after we have dissolved the board. When your salary doesn’t come, you will know certainly that we have dissolved the boards.

“You know traditionally, on the 29th of May, when a tenure of an Administration ends, you don’t need to be told that your tenure has ended. That is why you don’t hear us announce the dissolution of EXCO because it wasn’t necessary.

“It is however saddening that some people were still going to work. And so that they won’t sue the government for not paying them, that is why we announced that all non-statutory boards be dissolved.

“Please, handover to the next person, the next civil servant or any next person. Except you are on a statutory board or you are in the Constituted Limited Liability Company. Please do well to hand over and understand that your time is up, and don’t think that your coming back is mandatory.

Governor Eno who faulted the behaviour of some stakeholders for flouting his directive on nominations by award leaders for appointment as his aides, emphasized that such nominations must come from ward leaders to allow them free hand to nominate the ward members.

He explained that the decision was deliberate to activate the involvement of the grassroots in the governance by adhering to the “Power to the People” mantra of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and advised the stakeholders to heed his directive on the appointment.

“The reason for asking us to bring either a PA, SA or whatever will come out with the right process. It is very intentional to show that we want to relate with the rural areas and the grassroots.

“Please, let us as the elites not destroy that good intention. Let the ward leaders, Chairmen, Executives and Ward Elders sit in their wards and look for someone who worked in that ward, and bring their names for the appointment. All the leaders must sign, from the ward chairmen to ward elders.

“I warned, let no one person go and insist on choosing or bringing a PA from a ward that is not his own. Please don’t do that no matter how highly placed you are in government. You can’t do that.

“As an exemplary leader and someone you have elected to serve you, I am only in my ward. I don’t even go to the next ward beyond my village. But I am hearing that some big men want to influence and dictate who and which name should be brought. Please don’t do that. It is against the doctrine of our party if we want to be honest. It is our belief that power belongs to the people and let us give it to them.”

Delivering a sermon on the topic, “Have Dominion”, culled from Genesis 1:18, the General Overseer of Humility Glory Mission Worldwide, Rev. Sylvia Imoh, cautioned people in government to see their authority as an assignment by God and do his will to guard against abuse of power in operating their offices.

Deputy Governor, Senator Akon Eyakenyi, Secretary to the State Government, Prince Enobong Uwah, Head of Civil Service, Elder Effiong Essien, Political Stakeholders, the Clergy, immediate past members of the state Exco, Personal Aides to the Governor, among others attended the prayer summit.