Akwa Ibom State is to put its private jet to “lucrative use” to reduce the cost of governance and its maintenance following the “volatile exchange rate” in the country.
The state government said that the aircraft which was acquired during the tenure of Godswill Akpabio as governor will remain an asset of the state government.
Ini Ememobong, commissioner for information, made this known in a statement after the state Executive Council presided over by Governor Umo Eno.
“Council granted permission for the Office of the Secretary to the State Government to undertake a cost reduction management structure for the State Official Private Jet.
“This decision is predicated on the need for a drastic reduction in the cost of governance, the volatile exchange rate, and the corresponding increase in the cost of maintenance of the private jet.
“While the aircraft will remain the state’s asset, it will be put to more lucrative use,” the commissioner said.
He disclosed that a report on the Akwa Ibom State Social Register was presented, adding that the state government and the Chairmen of Local Government Councils were collaborating to engage vulnerable persons in the different Local Government councils
According to the commissioner, the register now has a total of 671, 410 entries.
He further said that the state Executive Council also received a report on the proposed dialysis and renal centres, highlighting the sites, buildings, and equipment needed for centres, adding that governor demanded for the final report to enable him approve the project for prompt execution.
On the update on the production of educational items for pupils in public primary schools in the state, the commissioner said that the production was reported to be nearing completion while a report on the effective way to manage state-owned enterprises to ensure profitability was also presented.
Similarly, on a report on the Akwa Ibom-United Kingdom Education Exchange Programme, he explained that students from secondary schools in rural areas from all Local Government councils in the state took examinations from which successful candidates emerged and that the governor reiterated his preparedness to give the selected students an experience of a lifetime.
“On infrastructure, the Council ratified recommendations from the Finance and General Purposes Committee (FGPC) on the approval for release of funds for additional works at the airport and ongoing road contracts in the state,” the statement added.
