Moments
like these calls for serious introspection. The creation of our dear state from
Cross River State was a fulfillment of a long awaited dream. The prevailing
atmosphere of the new state was that of joyous optimism. This gave birth to the
slogan, "the land of promise", because it was only the beginning of
the fulfillment of God’s promises to us as a people. The hope was high and as
enterprising people, we believed that the destiny of our dear state having been
left in our hands we have all that is required to transport her to a lofty
height of sustainable development.
Our
past leaders have invested tremendous amount of zeal, courage and energy in
making sure that this God’s own state reaches the height of her potential. The
first indigenous Military Administrator, Wing Commander Idongesit Nkanga, left
a giant stride by putting in place an outstanding secretariat for us. Obong
Akpan Isemin, apart from initiating the struggle for the abrogation of the obnoxious
onshore/offshore oil dichotomy, introduced the philosophy of “Structural Mental
Adjustment” to change the people’s perception and embolden us to dream big.
Arch (Obong Victor) Attah, did not only lay the foundation for our development,
but he also, against all odds, confronted formidable forces to ensure that we
benefit from and control our God given resources. When Governor Akpabio came on
board, he undertook infrastructural overhaul of some parts of state which makes
the state the envy of others.
There
is no denying that the past 30 years have witnessed series of changes and
challenges. Yet, because of our undaunted resilience, we have remained strong,
determined and prosperous. Our land is like that of the biblical Canaan,
bountifully endowed with abundant flow of milk and honey. Nature is magnanimous
to bless us with wealth in the form of oil. Akwa Ibom State is currently the
highest contributor to the National treasury.
We
are a people with rich history, colourful culture and hospitable dishes. From
the Oron Museum to Ibeno sand beach, our harmonious and peaceful coexistence
has been the driving force of the state. Our ability to accommodate and
tolerate one another has been an exemplary driving force that gives us a unique
advantage wherever we find ourselves. However, there are issues we have left
unaddressed. I think this occasion of the 30th anniversary is an opportunity
for us to sit down and think deep about our journey so far and what lies ahead.
We must start now to design a better future for our children and their children
after them. As a people, we must resolve to look beyond transient gains and
insist more on human capital development, industrialization and infrastructural
development.
The
role of industrialization in economic development cannot be overemphasized.
Industrialization presupposes the optimum utilization of scarce resources to
provide industries for both producers and consumers of goods. If we agree that
industrialization means creation of growth, then we should realize that the
realities of the 21st century have made it expedient for the society to be
transformed from an agrarian one to an industrial one. Our efforts and focus on
industrialization have to be fortified and reinforced so that we may be able to
catch up with the rest of the world in this regard.
Historical facts have
revealed that all the developed world got to where they are today as result of
their investment in industrialization. Akwa Ibom State with its huge potentials
can go very far in setting the pace for holistic development if the affairs of
the State are run with the aim of getting her to that envisaged promised land
rather than gratifying a few individuals for political gains. Our efforts to
industrialize the state must be genuine and collective. No room should be given
to hypocrisy as that can undermine our commitments. Much as loyalty should be
rewarded, we should stop compromising competence for patronage.
It
is important that we have at the back of our minds that oil which has been the
main stay of our economy is exhaustible. Apart from its exhaustibility, the
recent developments in science have posed severe threat to the usefulness and
utility of crude oil. This should remind us that we live at a time where
technological advancements can render obsolete the backbone of our economic
life.
Consequently, diversification remains the best option and there is no
better moment to explore ways of diversifying the economy than this occasion.
Lagos state remains the highest generator of internal revenue today in Nigeria.
We understand that this stride was not achieved overnight. However, we are
optimistic that with good planning, focus, commitment and good governance, Akwa
Ibom State can generate tremendous amount of revenue outside crude oil. Now is
the time to explore options that might guarantee the future of our children. If
we fail to key into the contemporary changes that have engulfed the world
today, we may not only be the only ones left behind by the rest of the world,
but our children as well. The time to invest in the future is now. We must take
science and technology serious and sponsor programmes that have the capability
of putting us at par with the rest of the world.
It
is true that we have come through a very rough journey. But our ability to have
a better tomorrow is dependent upon the choices we make today. We must endeavor
to make choices which will lead us to that promised land of sustainable wealth
and development. To do this, all the walls of ethnic sentiments which have been
erected to divide us must be pulled down. We must embrace everyone whether
Oron, Ibibio, Annang, etc. It is in oneness that we will find the strength that
would aid us to surmount our common challenges.
As
a people, we have always been optimistic. We must transform that optimism into
something more tangible and sustainable. The Ibaka Deep Seaport has become a
stale issue. This ought not to be. The relevance of that project to the
socio-economic wellbeing of our state goes without saying. That is a project
that was aimed at making our state a gateway to the rest of world and offer us
opportunities for international collaborations and exchanges. Unfortunately,
there has been apparent lack of political will to commence a project of such
great value. This is one of the fundamental slips in the past 30 years which
leave much to be desired. It reinforces the failure of leadership and the
unbridled hypocrisy of our political class. The people of Akwa Ibom State
deserve better. They deserve to enjoy the fruits of abundant wealth which
nature has bestowed on them. This is why we call on the incumbent
administration to ensure that the Ibaka Deep Seaport does not continue to
gather dust in the Boardroom of politics.
There
is need for a holistic and comprehensive development master plan that would
encompass the length and breadth of the State to bring in the modern social
infrastructure needed for social engineering. We commend the Dakkada initiative
of the current administration. We believe that more efforts need to be invested
in ensuring all segments of the state are carried along in terms of political
power sharing. Beyond that, there should be a body comprising all the ethnic
nationalities of the states whose aim should include bringing together the
divergent interests and harmonize them by building consensus. This will
eventually create a strong bond of cohesion between the different nationalities
and delete any line of distrust. The journey has been for 30 long years and
shall continue for longer. So it is necessary that we understand, trust and
feel free to work with one another in harmony for our common good.
God
has so far been gracious to us as a people. We must complement this divine
assistance by being steadfast in pursuing the Akwa Ibom State of our collective
dream. I wish all Akwa Ibomites a Happy Anniversary Celebration.
God
bless Akwa Ibom State
God Bless you all
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