A HOMECOMING FOR TINUBU

Among other things, President Tinubu’s visit to Akwa Ibom is a boost to tourism, reckons

𝐴 N 𝐼 E 𝑇 I 𝐸 𝑈 S 𝐸 N 

 It was a presidential visit that defied conventions and broke all available records. 

The reality that the top three Nigerian leaders: President Bola Tinubu and his wife, Oluremi; Vice President Kashim Shettima and his wife, Hajiya Nana, along with Senate President Godswill Akpabio and his wife, Unoma, together with 71 Senators, were all on the same spot, at the same time, in Uyo, capital of Akwa Ibom State, on a working visit, has no parallel anywhere in Nigeria. 

 To crown it all, the fact that President Tinubu stayed the night in Akwa Ibom State, with his wife and top federal officials, spoke volumes, not just about the success of the working visit, but the confidence the President has reposed in Governor Umo Eno and Akwa Ibom State.

 What was even more striking and difficult to ignore was that since he became the President about four years ago, the No.1 citizen of Nigeria had not spent a night in any of the 36 States of Nigeria, except his political base of Lagos State. 

 “This is a homecoming for me. I worked here in Akwa Ibom as an auditor in Mobil…and I love you with my whole heart “, the President said, as the mammoth crowd responded with a deafening ovation. 

With a palpable sense of nostalgia, he went ahead to address the subject matter of the day: “I am happy to inaugurate the airport named after my colleague (Obong Victor Attah) who had served this State very well as a governor. This is the fulfilment of a vision: from vision to reality”. The applause this time was not just for the President alone but for the succession of Akwa Ibom quality governors namely Attah; Godswill Akpabio, Udom Emmanuel and of course, Umo Eno, the man with a finisher’s anointing. 

 But beyond the applause for the President and a generation of purposeful Governos in the State; beyond the confidence President Tinubu has in both Governor Eno and Senator Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President; and beyond the fact that President Tinubu had earlier in his career in the 1980s worked in Akwa Ibom’s Qua Iboe Terminal of Mobil, there is also a distinguishing feature of Akwa Ibom that would have persuaded the President to break with his tradition and stay the night in the freshly minted ARISE PALM RESORT built by Governor Eno.

 That unique selling point of Akwa Ibom is safety. The State is assessed as a low risk environment on national security and risk indices, ranking among the safest States in Nigeria. 

 Data from the 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗲𝘅 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 show that Akwa Ibom holds a low risk score of 0.35%, and is placed at the lowest end of the risk spectrum, compared to states with higher conflict activity. 

 𝙊𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙒𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝, an independent security analysis and incident tracking platform, says under its 𝙁𝒂𝙩𝒂𝙡𝒊𝙩𝒚 & 𝑰𝙣𝒄𝙞𝒅𝙚𝒏𝙩 𝘿𝒂𝙩𝒂 that Akwa Ibom is ranked 37 out of 37 nationally by reported fatalities. This means Akwa Ibom has the lowest recorded fatality rate in Nigeria. 

 To make the State even safer and more secure, the list of projects listed for commissioning by the President, during the working visit, November 6, 2026, included the State Command and Security Control Centre, a major investment in the State’s security architecture by Governor Eno.

 “The facility is designed to provide a central platform for security coordination, intelligence gathering, information sharing and emergency response”, Governor Eno said.

Koko Essien, a retired Army General who is the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner of Internal Security and Waterways, told journalists at a recent media parley that “by improving communications and collaboration among security agencies, the Command Centre is strengthening intelligence-led policing and the State’s capacity to respond to security threats”.

 The outstanding security and safety credentials of Akwa Ibom State, especially under Governor Eno, has also augured well for foreign investments and tourism which has been flowing into the State, particularly in the last three years of Umo Eno Administration. 

 Tourism is actually the centrepiece of the Umo Eno Administration. His investment in this sector is pursued as a major cross-cutting pillar of the ARISE Agenda, which integrates tourism development across multiple economic and infrastructure areas. 

 Under 𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, Governor Eno is upgrading and expanding assets such as the Ibom Hotel and Golf Resort, Four Points by Sheraton and ongoing projects such as the 250-bedroom Ibom International Hotel. 

 Under 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, Governor Eno has amazed even his critics by developing landmarks like the mind-blowing ARISE Palm Resort (built on a reclaimed erosion site), where President Tinubu, his wife and top federal officials spent their night. 

 Under 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐯𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, Governor Eno is enhancing air and ground travel connectivity via Ibom Air, expanding the international airport, and modernizing State transport with a fleet of 50 CNG passenger buses and the building Ibom City Bus Terminal. 

 In the area of 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐦, he is building an audacious Ibom Medical City to elevate healthcare infrastructure and draw medical visitors. 

 Under 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞, the Governor is revamping sites like the Ibom Unity Museum, the State Center for Arts and Culture, local beach markets and promoting local cuisines and traditions. 

 And in the 𝐀𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐜𝐨-𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐦 sectors, the multiple award winning Governor is developing initiatives like the Ibom Model Farm, a 50-hectare integrated agricultural and economic project located in Ikot Edibon. 

 Modelled after the Songhai Farm framework and driven by the Akwa Ibom State University (AKSU), with goal of spearheading agricultural education, student training, research, and agro-tourism, it features zero-waste integrated farming, crop cultivation, livestock housing, fish ponds, and bio-processing/bio-energy systems. 

 None of these accomplishments escaped the attention of President Tinubu. “Pastor Eno, you are a great man of conscience, commitment and vision…These projects speak well of continuity and the benefits of having a great successor”, the president said after commissioning the world-class Victor Attah International Airport. 

 According to the President: “When you (Governor Eno) requested my approval for an international status for the airport, I did not hesitate to give the consent because you are a man of vision”. 

 One good job, they say, deserves another. With the good account Governor Eno gave of himself and his Administration, the President did not hesitate to grant the singular request Governor Eno made. 

 After thanking the President for all the good things he had done for Akwa Ibom State, including the approval for the Federal University of Technology, Ikot Abasi, and the Federal University of Agriculture, Obio Akpa, the international status for the Victor Attah International Airport, and the inclusion of Akwa Ibom State in the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Governor dropped the singular request, an issue very dear to the hearts of Akwa Ibom people. 

 “Give us Ibom Deep Seaport…This deep seaport is capable of unlocking the economy of the State, the South-South region and Nigeria at large”, Governor Eno said to the ovation of the jam-packed Godswill Akpabio Stadium. 

 Soon, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio threw his weight behind the request by Governor Eno. He called on President Tinubu to provide the necessary policy and investment for the development of the Ibom Deep Seaport, saying the project holds enormous potential for job creation and the economic transformation of Akwa Ibom and indeed Nigeria. “On Ibom Deep Seaport, we stand”, Senator Akpabio said. 

 It was clear to the President that Governor Eno and Senator Akpabio were speaking the minds and deep yearnings of Akwa Ibom people. And when it was his turn to speak, the President did not disappoint the hospitable people of Akwa Ibom State. 

 “It is approved. It is approved. Development must be even, inclusive and reasonable… It must bring progress and create economic value. I heard – the justification from your Governor, who is my friend and my pastor, speaking on behalf of the leadership and people of Akwa Ibom State on the Deep Seaport project. Ibom Deep Seaport will bring associated economic value and economic development… It is approved”, the President said. 

 Apart from the endorsement of the Seaport which was initiated in 1999 by the Obong Victor Attah Administration, the fact that the President stayed the night in the ARISE PALM RESORT conferred on the State an enviable status of a tourists destination of choice in Nigeria. 

 Said Professor Udeme Udofia of the University of Calabar: “You cannot measure the benefits of that presidential gesture in Naira and kobo alone. Yes, you cannot rule out the financial impacts on the resort’s balance sheet. But that particular presidential suite, where President Tinubu and his wife slept, should become a tourist trap of sort, where visitors would like to see and pose for pictures”. 

 “If the President of Nigeria would find the resort good and secure enough to accommodate him and his wife, who would not find his way to the serene and clean capital of Akwa Ibom for holiday and leisure?” asked Akpan Micah, a former member of the House of Reps. 

 For Dr. Sylvia Ekong, an indigene of Uyo municipality, and former Vice Chairman of Uyo LGA, who was familiar with the advancing and deserted erosion site, the courage of Governor Eno to conquer and subdue the menace of the devastated landscape and turn it to a veritable paradise, showcases him nationally as a model leader. 

 “Our Governor is exceptionally good and brave in tackling prolonged problems that appear intractable. I can count many such problems including abandoned projects and the backlog of gratuities for the sick and aged civil servants. This Governor will always be remembered for good”, she said.

Usen is a Veteran Journalist