By Bassey Nkponam
UYO
Over N112 billion has been disbursed by the Umo Eno-led administration in Akwa Ibom for road infrastructure, since May 2023.
A breakdown showed that 39 new road projects have been undertaken with N78.77 billion released to fund them, while old projects have been funded to the tune of over N30 billion, with an additional N12 billion released recently by the state government.
The commissioner for information, Comrade Ini Ememobong, stated this, Wednesday, while briefing Government House correspondents, shortly after an Executive Council meeting at the EXCO Chambers, Governor’s Office, Uyo, hinting that the commissioner for works and fire service, Professor Eno Ibanga, had informed the Council of the disbursements while reviewing projects and programmes of his ministry at the EXCO meeting.
Ememobong made known that approval for the increment of pension for pensioners who retired before 2012, has been approved, with effect from April 2024.
He said the commissioner for agriculture and rural development, Dr Offiong Offor, presented the status update on the food sufficiency and security plan of the administration, during which she informed the council that enhanced cassava cuttings would be deployed to significantly increase the output of cassava, while also highlighting the strategy for increased coca and rice production, and the state of the Ibom Model Farm which, she said, is on course with land preparation activities.
Ememobong said the managing director of Akwa Ibom Investment Corporation, AKICORP, Pastor Imoabasi Jacob, had informed the Council of the investment proposals received from Ibom Towers, FalconNext, Landmark Beach Resort, etc, which are in different stages of activation, and that harvesting was on course, while milling will soon commence at the Dakkada Global Oil Palms Ltd.
The commissioner noted that Council was impressed with the progress at Ibom-LED, where 800 people have been trained and N400 million approved to fund the grant of N500,000 to each of the participants, which will soon be done.
Ememobong made known that the commissioner for culture and tourism, Sir Charles Udoh, presented the tourism blueprint, specifically providing hints on the proposed development of tourism hubs at Ikot Abasi, Itu, and Oron, to encapsulate the already existing tourist sites in those places, while the director of Operations, Direct Labour Agency, presented a status update on the projects under their supervision, namely, One Project Per Local Government Area, out of which two have been completed, 19 are ongoing, while the remaining will commence soonest, and the ARISE Compassionate Homes which, of the 100 earmarked for this year, 31 will be completed and presented soonest.
He said the director, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Department of the Ministry of Justice presented a report indicating that between 2021 till date, 1,349 cases had been prosecuted, with many convictions secured, and that the governor had assured the committee of his administration’s support and charged them to do more in the extermination of the anomaly.
According to him, heads of MDAs were invited to make presentations on the state of projects and programmes within their jurisdiction, and that ministerial reports and reviews will continue at the next meeting.
He said the governor, at the commencement of the meeting, had charged all the executive council members to ensure that all the projects and programmes under their supervision are people-centric from ideation to execution, while also advising that project monitoring should be ramped up to ensure quick completion.
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