I Was The First Governor To Pay 13th Month Salary, Dualize Roads In Akwa Ibom- Akpabio
President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who served as governor of Akwa Ibom state from 2007 to 2015, has asserted that he was the one that changed the face of the state called ‘Land of Promise’ while submitting that Akwa Ibom did not witness real development until he took charge of affairs of the state.
He added that though, the state is called ‘Land of Promise’ , successive governments did not however make the state live up to its name until he surfaced as its Chief Executive.
Team@orientactualmags.com learned that Akpabio said this while giving his speech during the ‘Stakeholder meeting’ held in Eket Local Government, Akwa Ibom state.
‘They call Akwa Ibom ‘Land of Promise’, but before 2007, how many people felt the promise? How many people have ever experienced the promise? When I became the governor, did the people of Ibeno not know they could have a hospital? Did the people of Eastern Obolo not know they could have a hospital? When I became the governor, did the people of Esit-Eket not see the Gas Processing Plant with their children working there? he asked the attendees of the ‘stakeholder meeting’.
Akpabio also added that he started the idea of dualizing roads in the state , introduced the free and compulsory education policy and was also the first governor to pay 13th month salary to civil servants in the state.
‘Is it not when I became the governor that I took over the road from Ibeno to Eket and started dualizing it in a hurry out of anger and you can now see dualized roads with bridges? Is it not when I became the governor that you saw compulsory education policy? Is it not when I became governor that you knew what is called Akpabio-Ember–13th-month salary?’ he said.
Akpabio also continued the assessment of his administration in the state by adding that it was on his watch that Akwa Ibom state won the Guinness World Record for hosting the largest-ever Christmas Carol and started hosting more than 10,000 people to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ annually.
‘I sent you to Jerusalem, and those of you who are Muslims went to Mecca to pray for Akwa Ibom, to pray for Nigeria. Was it not when I became the governor that you felt the impact of Christmas celebration, that we could host over 10,000 people in one occasion to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and won the Guinness Book of World Records for assembling the largest Carol on Earth to sing to the glory of God? But today God said I should do it again for Nigerians.
For two years, I struggled to get to Port Harcourt, Owerri, and Calabar to enter the plane. I saw how people died while rushing to enter plane. So, out of anger, the project that was started and abandoned, I completed the International Airport, so our people could travel straight, you don’t need to go and be insulted by Mobil struggling to enter Mobil Red Horse. Mobil now needs to use our airport’ he said.
He also commented on the way things were done by party members ahead of the February 25 2023 presidential and national assembly elections while submitting that things would be taken seriously in 2027.
‘So, I didn’t know whether you were serious, but in 2027, I want to assure you that we will be more serious, I tried to call them to give me your campaign itinerary, but they refused to give it to me. Is there anywhere I will enter that people will not vote for APC? You should have invited Godswill Akpabio, but you felt let us abandoned him to the other side (Ikot Ekpene senatorial district).
Look at what the other side did; they gave President Tinubu 120.000 votes, but Uyo and Eket combined ended up with only 40,000 votes’ he added.
While giving his speech during separate ‘stakeholder meeting’ in Uyo on the same day, the Senate President emphasized the need for party members to ensure unity in the state APC and make it clear where they belong to , noting that that they ‘cannot be members of APC and PDP at the same time’.
Earlier, the APC chairman, Mr Stephen Ntukekpo, had while giving his speech, thanked President Bola Tinubu, and Akpabio, for inclusivity and pledged continued support and loyalty of party members in the state to the APC–Team@orientactualmags.comDo you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08059100286, 09094171980. Thank you
