A chartered Civil Engineer with a PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Leeds, United Kingdom (UK), Dr. Efretuei is a highly experienced expert in Civil Engineering and passionate about providing the highest quality of engineering output, with over 20 years of experience in Engineering Survey, Design, Construction and Project Management.
He is an entrepreneur with thriving business interests in Nigeria and the UK, and a refined politician, with a drive to tackle the prevailing human challenges and to mitigate anticipated future frustrations.
Dr. Efretuei possesses a deep understanding of the current socio-economic and political challenges facing Akwa Ibom State and its people, and will provide the sincere and selfless service people genuinely desire and clearly deserve, within a single political term of service as the Governor of Akwa Ibom State.
POLITICAL EXPOSURE
Dr. Engr. Okon Efretuei is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) political party from ward 8, Oron Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
Prior to joining the APC in 2014, Dr.Efretuei purchased the nomination form for the Federal House of Representatives in the 2006 party primaries, seeking to represent the people of the Oron Federal Constituency (with five Local Government Areas) in the National Assembly. He was then affiliated with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), from its inception in 1998.
Keeping in view the need for intra-party unity for success at the polls, Dr. Efretuei supported the candidate chosen by the party for the 2007 General Elections.
Dr.Efretuei was subsequently nominated to serve as a member of the PDP Akwa Ibom State governorship campaign and transition committee for the 2007 General Elections.
Dr. Efretuei made financial contributions and also initiated and fully funded the idea of uniting commercial bikers across Akwa Ibom State, to promote road safety and publicize the PDP, by wearing reflective safety vest with PDP slogan for the 2007 General Elections.
This colorful event was celebrated with the then PDP gubernatorial candidate, H.E. Chief Godswill Akpabio, riding on a commercial bike wearing the vest, for campaign in Uyo with a large number of commercial bikers in tow wearing the same vest.
Between 2007 and 2012, Dr. Efretuei remained active politically, participating in many Akwa Ibom State events in Nigeria, the United States of America (USA) and the UK.
In 2013, he was appointed one of the five directors on the Board of Directors of the Akwa Ibom State government-owned Ibom Power Company (IPC). In 2014, Dr.Efretuei supported several democratic negotiations and efforts towards identifying an acceptable candidate for the 2015 gubernatorial elections.
His effort included several intellectual and financial contributions resulting in healthy political discussions and publications.
However, along with many sons and daughters of Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria, Dr.Efretuei declared a loss of confidence in the PDP, after the primaries preceding the 2015 General Elections.
The popular reasoning was that the original PDP ideology and democratic principles were no longer upheld within the party.
Many disappointed Nigerians found the then newly-formed APC more favourably aligned with these principles.
These democratic principles turned out to be a validated recipe for success at the polls, as was demonstrated in the APC presidential primaries that led to an APC presidency.
The 2014 PDP primaries in Akwa Ibom State resulted in the exit of a large number of Oro people from the PDP. In the wake of that development, Dr. Efretuei officially moved to the APC in December 2014.
Dr.Efretuei is a favoured beneficiary of strong family alliances by birth and marriage within his state of origin - Akwa Ibom. He is a descendant of legendary families across the Oro Nation and a step-son of the renowned Ikot Akpan Obong community in Utit Obio, Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area of the Ibibio Nation.
His children are descendants of great families spreading across Ikot Ekpene and Essien Udim Local Government Areas of the Annang Nation.
Dr Efretuei symbolizes an unstoppable inspirational drive with a dynamic vision to revitalize and strengthen our institutions, create new opportunities, develop the Akwa Ibom common wealth and establish a sustainable economy to steadily upgrade the living standards of every Akwa Ibom citizen and resident.
This vision is firmly rooted within his deep belief in the unity and inseparability of Akwa Ibom State as a progressive family of a people with common environmental and cultural heritage.
It is now evident that the change most people in Akwa Ibom State desire, in the form of an enhanced quality of life, cannot be achieved with more of the same ideas and rhetoric from the same people or their affiliates, even when presented in different outfits.
APC Akwa Ibom is now positioned to model true change for Nigerians, by presenting candidates that are truly prepared to sincerely offer the service expected of the office they hold – candidates who have learnt and understood that the instrument of governance is a tool for sharpening our society for a better tomorrow, rather than an outlet for power simply for the sake of it.
As Governor, Dr.Efretuei is determined to create a more superior quality of life for every Akwa Ibom Citizen and Resident: a quality of life that has always been realistically attainable, but regrettably, has generally been thought to be beyond reach locally hitherto.
POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
Dr. Efretuei believes in the dividend of persuasion, the merits of negotiation and the power of positive thinking. He believes that as descendants of a single ancestor, we can always find a common ground if we sincerely desire.
He is never discouraged by the enormity of the odds prevailing against a course, because of his awareness that with dedication, perseverance and a willingness to review the approach as needed, every single challenge can be overcome.
Dr.Efretuei also believes in justice and equity, in our common humanity and thus the benefits of adopting the majority’s decision.
He has learnt that in every prevailing circumstance, citing commonly available knowledge at the time, the majority’s decision is often the preferable option.
Dr. Efretuei finds tremendous merit in the fundamental moral lessons we imbibe from our traditional ways of life.
Although they may be currently eroding, these moral lessons strengthen and sustain our communal lives. Our elderly and senior citizens must be honoured and respected without exception.
While an elder’s individual opinion may not always be adopted, it must always count. Our youths must be appropriately encouraged and supported.
Our children must be groomed, adequately tutored and prepared for the challenges of our future through a holistic and non-intrusive development strategy.
Dr.Efretuei believes that developing our local talents can only be complementary to these efforts. He often insists on engaging local labour as a priority, with emphasis on youth and women in the projects he has been associated with.
These engagements developed local abilities, skills in services and inspired entrepreneurship, with pleasing results.
This is evident from a number of skilled university graduates, technicians and small scale entrepreneurs from our local communities, whom he initially engaged when they were yet without the skills and positive prospects they now have. As Governor, Dr. Efretuei will reaffirm and strengthen these values.
Though a lone individual’s visions and excellent ideas alone cannot deal with every challenge we face or improve the livelihood of our entire communities, an ability to inspire people to share the same vision, harnessing the resources and skills of a team of intelligent men and women who share this vision, will often translate into workable solutions for the benefit of all.
Dr. Efretuei’s vision to build a robust system in Akwa Ibom State, that will accommodate the needs of its citizens and residents, is one that had been widely shared but without appreciable success.
However, his acquaintance with international best practices and exposure to a range of successful approaches will guide and inspire the pursuit of excellence that would deal with the challenges we face as a people and improve the quality of our lives. He appreciates the enormous potential of our human, material and environmental resources.
He is determined to efficiently utilize these resources in trading globally for substantive benefits. As Governor, Dr. Efretuei will mobilize our capacity today to deal with the challenges of tomorrow.
Dr. Efretuei is of the position that we must now start to taking incremental steps in the right direction to strengthen our own institutions, develop our own economies and create sufficient wealth to sustain our needs.
An increasing number of Akwa Ibom people and Nigerians now also appreciate that these steps, though late in coming, have become imperative today, to deal with the steadily increasing challenges of our common future.
We must expect this revolutionary change to begin within us and our choices. Our choice of leadership, our expectation from leadership and what we are prepared to accept from leadership in our own state, Akwa Ibom, will determine our common destiny as a people. Dr. Efretuei is inspiring this change we can be proud of, to radiate across Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria, beginning with you today.
Seeking the best amongst us for the service we desire, is a time-tested principle that has served mankind well and sustained us thus far.
Dr.Efretuei believes that at this pivotal period in our communal history, it is only appropriate to set aside every other sentimental consideration for a single political term of 4 years. This will enable a reset and a renewal of our approach to governance and its meaning.
This will also enable us reposition and strengthen the institutions that will spur and support activities of economic growth and wealth creation.
He shares in the believe that, what cannot be done within a single political term of 4 years may not be achieved in 8 years.
However, Dr. Efretuei appreciates that with adequate planning, a lifetime’s achievement could be realized in just 4 years. He is available and willing to serve as Governor of Akwa Ibom State for a single political term of 4 years only.
He is strategically positioned to inspire our economic development, the likes of which have not been realized locally, not because this has been impossible, but primarily because building the infrastructure we desired, remained the principal focus, rather than building the systems that should grow and sustain the desired infrastructure as well.
Dr. Efretuei believes it is time we all set aside parochial, personal and sectional group interests, in favour of sincere and dedicated work for the benefit of all. Allocating a single political term of 4 years in our collective lives to a dedicated leadership is the least sacrifice we could possibly make, to correct our missed steps for posterity.
MANAGERIAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND SERVICES
Dr. Efretuei has consistently assumed early leadership role through his adult life. As a Graduate Civil Engineer, he worked hard in gathering sufficient experience to be successful in the professional assessment procedures required to be a certified Engineer in Nigeria.
This enabled his registration with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN). Dr.Efretuei achieved this at just over 5 years of graduate experience, the minimum duration required to attain this status at the time.
This early attainment afforded Dr.Efretuei the leverage to excel professionally and assume several leadership roles. He has since mentored several Civil Engineering Graduates and aspiring Engineers.
On attaining the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom, Dr. Efretuei tutored a number of successful Civil Engineering Post Graduate students from across the world, some of whom have gone on to become leaders in their units and captains of industries in different sectors and regions of the world.
He also supervised the finite element model development of soil-structure interaction models for a number of experienced civil engineers in the University of Leeds.
Dr.Efretuei combined his post-graduate studies in the UK with his professional engineering responsibilities, business interests and politics in Nigeria, consistently maintaining excellent performance all round, with no lapses or delays.
His commitments involved multiple intercontinental trips annually, with the discipline to adhere to a very demanding schedule and an ability to maintain a high level of focus and dedication in surmounting on-going and anticipated challenges.
POWERED BY NKA UFORO NDITO AKWA IBOM
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