Is Akwa Ibom Still a Land Of Promise?
Seventeen years after its creation, Affia Okon goes to Akwa Ibom State to meet a state that is charting a course towards self-dependence.
An anniversary takes different forms. It could be festive or sober. But, either way, it is always an echo of where you began. For the various people that make up Akwa Ibom state, looking back at September 23, 1987 marked the beginning of the change they had always wanted.
Penultimate week, the state turned seventeen. The day was declared a work-free day by the state government but, it was not for festivity or ceremony. It was a day for the indigenes to reflect on where they began and to focus on where they are headed.
The story of Akwa Ibom state reminds one of Joshua and Caleb, two of the twelve spies sent by Moses to spy on Canaan the land God promised the children of Israel. These two returned with a favourable report that, the land was indeed flowing with milk and honey. But, the other ten, spread a bad report doubting their ability to take possession of the land. The Akwa Ibom state legend reads like this biblical story of the children of Israel in their quest to explore the promise land.
It is probably for this reason that the state's motto is the Land of Promise. Like the Biblical forty years wilderness experience of the Israelites in their search for the promise land one can rightly say this state, which came out from Cross River State, after a prolonged agitation by the people to manage their own affairs is still yet to find the promises inherent in the land seventeen years after its creation.
When on September 23 1987, their prayers were answered they had considered it a landmark victory. The creation of the new state was an event that altered the geographical structure of the country. Two new states joined the league of the twenty-eight states in the country that year. Akwa Ibom State was one and Katsina Statethe other. And even as they celebrated their new statehood, not a few had reservations about the enormous development challenges ahead of it. There was absolutely nothing on the ground for it to take off and even though it is located in the coastal areas, potable drinking water was an essential commodity. Electricity was practically not available. There were no structures for government offices. Educational infrastructure was mediocre, healthcare infrastructure almost non-existent; agriculture was nothing to write about as the environmental abuses owing to oil exploration in the state greatly affected farming activity. Visibly evident after its creation was that the state could not cater for its many indigenes who immediately started trooping back home. For one thing, there was no adequate infrastructure to cater for their needs. For another, the road network was deplorable. Even several years after its creation, the state government still operated their ministries from rented houses scattered all over the state capital Uyo, and the Governors office was operated from a ram-shackled building. But, seventeen years after, the state is finally taking shape and beginning to bear semblance to a land capable of yielding promises to its people.
If you have not been a regular visitor to the state in the past seven years, the new look of Uyo will impress you. The popular Ibom Connection, the round-about that links you to all the major link roads in the city now has a plaza. The plaza is a spectacle at night. The plaza, which is divided into three sections, creates aesthetics for the central city. It serves as a recreational center an amphi-theatre, a free market zone and a fountain/recreation area for every tourists delight.
The government has made water and electricity key priorities. Recently, it floated a N6billion bond to raise funds from the capital market to activate grand projects for the state. The signpost of developments include; rehabilitation and dualisation of Abak and Oron roads. These Road serve as a major route in the state, for the movement of people, goods and services to the neighbouring states of Abia, and through the East-West Road to Rivers State. It also provides a link to the Export Free Zone (EPZ), Ibom Power Plant and Aluminum Smelter Company of Nigeria (ALSCON). Funds generated from the bond will also help augment the resources of the State Government and develop Housing Estates in Uyo.
A peep into the existence of the state will make one wonder why it has taken the state capital, Uyo, seventeen years to bear the resemblance of a city. Mr. Patrick Ekpotu, Commissioner for Information, blamed it on unfulfilled promises by past administrators of the state. "In its seventeen years of creation, we can count the number of governors that have governed this state." He likens the state to a child, while pointing out the inadequacies that made it difficult for Akwa Ibom to attain its full potentials. "The state is seventeen years today, almost an adult, if it were a child it will be in the university. But the life of an individual is not the same as a state. An individual has all the requirements provided for him to aid his development. In his younger days his parents aid him but this is not the same for a state due to the system to rule and miss rule
We have suffered lots of set back as a state due to promises and visions that were not sustained." Perhaps, it is for this reason that he says the sustained leadership of the present administration has made more meaningful changes in the past five years than any administration since its creation.
"The state, in the past five years, has fared very well. As soon as this government came into place, it began to take a comprehensive look at the state and look at the things that were temporary and place them in permanent perspective." In the past five years, Ekpotu describes significant changes that have jump started socio-economic activity in the state. These progress he says cuts across every spectrum. As if to further emphasise his point, Ekpotu, seats upright in his chair, and makes this declaration, "from agriculture, health, science and technology, investments this administration has made tremendous impact in the life's of the people and channeled many development plans other administrations failed to chart."
In 1999, when the governor of the state, Obong Victor Attah assumed leadership of the affairs of the state, he came with a vision to energise the private sector's participation in governance, to provide an "enabling environment" for the private sector to synergise with government and to usher in the good life for the hitherto neglected people of the state. He had visions of gigantic industries, which would jumpstart a series of small-scale industries. Inline with his vision, Attah embarked on gigantic projects that herald lot of criticisms from the indigenes who could not see the picture. Attah determined to ensure that he put to practice the master plan he had conceived for the young state many years as a professional architect did not seem deterred by the criticism.
He began a revitalisation agenda, to allow for even development of the state and the upliftment of lives of indigenes. He began massive rehabilitation and development of roads, concrete support for the creation of cottage industries via a firmed up micro-credit scheme, resuscitation of state industries through privatisation arrangements and development of the state's vast tourism sector.
He made capital-intensive investments in the area of power- a construction of an Independent Power Project (IPP), which will inject 120 megawatts of electricity and a Refinery
What marks can be seen now? Ekpotu says the reforms of the present administration have ignited a lot of economic activity in the state, that if sustained could have the capacity to make the state "self-sufficient."
In the area of agriculture, the state government introduced an initiative, a sort of partnering between itself and individuals in order to increase sufficiency in oil palm production. This initiative is making every community in the state have a palm plantation and the ability to produce and make palm produce an essential commodity available and affordable.
The Government has made over a 100 per cent commitment in the area of education and has built nine computer-training centers within the three senatorial districts to boost education. Health wise, the administration has made it a policy to ensure that every local government in the state has a general hospital. But he says one of the most remarkable impact of the present administration is the introduction of the ethical and attitudinal commission-a campaign the Governor is very passionate about. This initiative is aimed at erasing the negative attitude of the people.
According to the Information Commissioner, the Governor has seen that the prevailing negative attitude in the mind of the people has led to low attainment in the state. "Attitude, he says plays a prominent role in the attainment of government goals. When we talk about development changes it is not a new method that is required to create these needed changes in the environment, but a new quality of people and we can only get that kind of people by getting them to refrain from those old die hard habits." This approach is already yielding remarkable results in the state.
To commemorate with the people, Attah congratulated the state on its milestone on reflective tones. Pointing out that, "Time is not measured by the passing of years but by what one does, what one feels and what one achieves. With a voice laden with emotions, he reminded the people not to forget the noble men and women who fought for the creation of the state. He said: "My heart is filled with pride and joy whenever I recall the foresight, struggles, dedication and heroism of our forebears which culminated in the creation of Akwa Ibom state. Today, I have the singular pleasure and honour to speak to you as proud heirs of these great and noble men and women who, through their selfless service to humanity, commitment to the ideals of unity, equality and progress bequeathed to us a memorable and enduring legacy worthy of celebration. I am glad to say, to the glory of God, that the manifestation of the vision of our forebears can now be seen in the rapid socio-economic transformation of our various communities. More of these evidence of development should be expected as we, purposefully and with dedication nurture this state to maturity."
"At 17, Akwa Ibom state has come a long way. Let us resolve that in the coming years, we would have done for ourselves those things that Malaysia, South Korea and Indonesia did in the process of their economic transformation to earn the respect of the international business community" the Governor enthused.
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