By Ossom Asaka/Bassey Nkponam
UYO
The Akwa Ibom State governor has continued to receive accolades from reputable institutions both within the country and from the diaspora for his outstanding leadership qualities and good governance.
The latest of such accolades is the recent cash reward of $6,206,745.42 from the World Bank assisted state action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) programme for outstanding performance in transparency, budgetary management and good governance under the 2024 assessment.
The state chief executive officer who announced this during the July edition of the Monthly Covenant Service held at 11 Banquet Hall, Government House, Uyo explained that the recognition by the world bank underscores his administration’s commitment to accountability, prudent management of public resources and institutional reforms in line with the ARISE Agenda.
Recall that the latest recognition came on the heels of Akwa Ibom’s emergence as one of Nigeria’s top-performing States in governance in the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAPS) Governance Performance Index (CGP).
He said the twin recognition affirm that Akwa Ibom was on the right development trajectory and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to delivering on the ARISE Agenda, as sustainable development requires deliberate planning, consistency and patience.
Highlighting other milestones, Governor Eno announced that Ibom Air has resumed international flight operations from Uyo to Accra, Ghana, with flights currently operating on Thursdays and Sundays, hinting that additional international routes would be introduced as passenger traffic continues to grow.
The governor hinted further that the state government has procured 50 brand-new Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses to strengthen public transportation, adding that the first batch of 20 buses has arrived, while the remaining 30 will be delivered later. According to him, drivers will undergo proper training before deployment, adding that the buses are newly manufactured.
On youth development, Governor Eno reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to establishing Youth Development centres in all the 31 local government areas, explaining that the initiative was aimed at making skills acquisition and empowerment programmes more accessible to young people in their communities, in alignment with the planned amendment of the NYSC Act to make youths across the country more productive.
He called on residents and visitors to take advantage of the state’s growing tourism assets, describing the period as Akwa Ibom’s “harvest season”.
“We are in our harvest season. You need to visit ARISE Park and the ARISE Resort. Akwa Ibom is doing well, and we will continue to grow our tourism sector”, Eno siad, cautioning media practitioners, social media users and the general public against spreading false information, but to verify facts before publishing or sharing content.
He described the dissemination of falsehood as harmful to society and appealed to those involved in circulating unverified information to desist from the practice or face the full wrath of the law.
Eno also appreciated church leaders for their continued prayers for the peace, unity and progress of Akwa Ibom, noting that sustained development requires both good governance and divine guidance.
Preaching on the topic, “Divine Rechristening”, with text taken from Isaiah 62:1–4, the senior pastor of Victorious Family International, Prophet Williams, urged believers to remain steadfast in faith, assuring them of God’s promise of restoration, favour and a new identity.
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