Governor Umo Eno-led Akwa Ibom State government has approved the release of N10 billion to pay contractors owed by the immediate past administration in the state.
“We have released over N10bn to get contractors back to various sites across the state. Works are ongoing at these project sites such as the Victor Attah International Airport road expansion and others located all across the state.”
The government said it has “kept all our financial obligations with Airbus Corporation and about a month ago, we received the first of the ten Airbus A220-300 Series into the Ibom Air fleet.”
Governor Eno who made this known while addressing the state on Monday, said the government would continue ‘to support and expand the operations’ of Ibom Air, adding it has “invested heavily in the maintenance, repair and overhaul facility at its airport which he said would be inaugurated ‘very soon.’
Eno, who also gave reasons why the state government ordered an ‘operational audit’ of the state-owned Ibom plant, said it was to have it repositioned to yield the expected benefits to the people.
Explaining why it created a full-fledged ministry of internal security and waterways, Eno said it was borne of the need to “maintain the peace and safeguard our status as one of the safest states in Nigeria.”
“We have created a full-fledged Ministry of Internal Security and Waterways manned by a retired general of the Nigerian Army. Two weeks ago, we successfully launched the Ibom Community Watch programme with 550 watchers commissioned for Uyo Local Government Area.
“The objective of this programme is to raise a well-trained team that will protect government assets across our communities and assist in the gathering of intelligence for our security agents. This initiative shall also create over five thousand jobs for our youths.
“On December 13, 2023, I signed into law, the Akwa Ibom Security Trust Fund Bill earlier passed by the House of Assembly to help us mobilise funds to improve the security architecture of our state.
“We have also launched the Akwa Ibom State Waterways Security Assets whose central mission is to secure the waterways of the state and thus help protect the government’s critical assets, boost the state’s comparative advantage in the blue economy, and support our fishermen through the provision of enhanced security, among others.
