Akwa Ibom: Why Go Eno is Seeking to Keep Council Bosses in Their Domains -Info Commissioner Explains
Says Eno Is Business Friendly, But…
Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information, Comrade Ini Ememobong has highlighted accelerated rural development, one of the pillars of Governor Umo Eno’s ARISE Agenda, as the primary reason the State Chief Executive has forwarded to the State House of Assembly, a bill seeking to mandate Local Government Council Chairmen to reside in their respective Council Areas.
Other executive bills forwarded by the Governor to the Assembly are: a bill for a law to establish Ibom Peace Corps and for connected purposes and a bill for a law to make special provisions for Statutory Boards in Akwa Ibom and for connected purposes.
Ememobong, who gave the explanations on Arise TV on Sunday, when he featured as guest during the Arise Night, said, ” What has driven this move is because the Governor is interested in rural development, which is the “R” part of his ARISE Agenda. Therefore, when this law is passed, it will become an obligation for Local Government Chairmen to stay in their local government areas .
“For instance, agriculture happens in the rural areas and we need public officials to stay in their domains to protect our investment in those area. To this end, the Governor has said that he will make rural areas to be comfortable for public officers to live because, you can’t live in the cosmopolitan area of the state and be answerable to your people in the rural areas”. He added.
On how Eno’s administration is working to amielorate the biting effects of fuel subsidy removal, Ememobong said,” the state government has set up a committee, which has members of labour and other CSOs as members with Secretary to State Government as the head”.
“That Commetee has wrapped up its report . The Governor is particular about it and has insisted that we must get these palliatives to the poorest of the poor. Therefore, we are developing a strategy to ensure that these palliatives get to the villages and every single person who needs it “.
The spokesman also explained that,” What Akwa Ibom is doing differently is that we are not just interested in the short term intervention palliatives, the Governor is also trying to create s system that dovetails from the palliatives into sustainable means of poverty reduction”.
Meanwhile, Comr Ememobong has assured that Akwa Ibom State government will continue to protect the people, environment and their sources of livelihood.
The assurance is in view of the recent flood prediction outlook for Akwa Ibom State by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NiMET.
” The Governor is adopting the Do-It-Yourself ( DIY ) model, which is why he has directed that all flood channels in the state must be desilted”.
He [ the Governor ] has also started ” a war ” against Improperly terminated drains by contractors. We are making sure that our water ways are clear by ensuring that people don’t put dirt there in readiness to accept external water as predicted “.
On the recent relocation order issued by the Akwa Ibom State Government to a motor breakpad manufacturing company owned by Chinese nationals, sited within residential area in the state capital, Uyo, the Information Commissioner reiterated that,” Governor Umo Eno is a business friendly person and has said that he wants to make Akwa Ibom a place to be by attracting businesses to the state. So, he is very careful not to scare businesses that are already on the ground, but must be made to operate within our laws, in order to protect our people and our environment “.
“Where that company is situated is within a residential area and they emit very unbearable stench. But the Governor in exercise of maturity and restraint, has asked them to relocate to our industrial estate where they will be given land as long as how and what they are doing is not harmful to our people and the environment “.
He confirmed that the state government has handed the owners of the company their demands in line with its objective to continue to protect Akwa Ibom citizens without destroying the business.
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