Sunday Okobi
Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, has sought the support of the newly elected members of the seventh state House of Assembly to further develop the state in his second term, and consequently move the state away from the dependence on oil.
Speaking at a two-day pre-inauguration induction training and workshop organised by the leadership of the sixth assembly for the members-elect, the governor said: “I need your support to create change and build human capacity of the Akwa Ibom people… As a state, we must show deep sense of seriousness. So, the seventh assembly has a lot of work to do.”
In a statement issued and made available to THISDAY yesterday, while charging the representatives to make themselves accessible to their constituents as well as develop the leadership skills needed to discharge their legislative roles, Emmanuel equally sought their support to move the state totally away from depending on crude oil revenue.
According to the statement, he said: “We must build our economy, plan and rise above the belief that Akwa Ibom State will always have oil money to spend. Our problem in Nigeria is that we do not plan… We can make the state a travel hub.”
Also, in his welcome address, the outgoing Speaker and incoming House of Representative member representing Etinan/Nsit Ibom/Nsit Ubium federal constituency, Rt. Hon. Onofiok Luke, said the members-elect should work for the development of the
state.
Luke admonished the newly elected lawmakers to make laws that would empower the executive and build an educated, healthy, prosperous and united Akwa Ibom State.
According to him, their collective objective as members in the coming days should be to “legislate towards the actualisation of the Akwa Ibom project which is to build an educated, healthy, prosperous and state united under one leadership and one God.”
Describing the training and workshop as an important rite of passage “expected to effectively launch the incoming members into the new legislative and leadership realm in our state,” the assembly Speaker said as the symbol of representative government, the members-elect need preparation to “successfully run this arm of government.”
