Udom offers olive branch to political opponents in Akwa Ibom

Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State has offered an olive branch to his political opponents as part of deliberate efforts to ensure inclusive governance and as a confidence building measure in developing the state.

Emmanuel defeated his number one opponent, Nsima Ekere of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the governorship election as he scored 519,712 votes while Ekere garnered 171,978 votes.

Speaking on a televised programme, the governor said it was time for governance by sustaining his industrial agenda which he said was aimed at creating jobs for the youths through the provision of cottage industries in all parts of the state.

According to him, it does not matter which political party one belongs adding that all should join hands in building the state that everybody would be proud of.

The governor who  commended the people  for the peaceful manner in which they went about exercising their civic responsibility; said the people refused to be shaken or cowed by “those who thought they could bend your will; you refused to be intimidated by those who promised Armageddon and war on our people.”

He dedicated the victory to God.

“To those who ran against me, I urge  them to join hands with me to build  the Akwa Ibom  State of our dream: an industrialised State where education, healthcare delivery,  food sufficiency, peace and security, infrastructural renaissance, foreign investments shall  remain abiding articles of faith,’’ the governor said.

He said the state government had achieved much in the last four years which he regarded as the period of lean resources and expressed the hope that the next four years would be years of plenty.

“We will continue to judiciously appropriate the resources to impact lives, change our story and move Akwa Ibom to such enviable height of prosperity and growth that would be the envy of the nation and indeed the world.

“If California, a State on the West Coast of the United States could be the 6th largest economy in the world, I think with the fresh mandate you have given me, we will work harder to make Akwa Ibom State a major economic power in Africa. Your fresh mandate has fired me up; the passion to do the most for our people remains right and uplifting. We will not fail you.

“We have all we need to be great, the mind-set of our people have  been changed, thanks to our Dakkada philosophy, we have great talents and a propelling desire to be successful. Our youths are embracing an ownership culture and the need to use the works of their hands and their creative instincts to create wealth for themselves,’’ he said.

He urged the people to “continue to maintain the peace so far enjoyed, show love to neighbours and promised to  run a government with “malice toward none, with charity for all.”