PRESS RELEASE: UDOM EMMANUEL’S TASK FORCE ON AKWA PALM INDUSTRIES: A FAILED VOTE-SEEKING SCHEME

THE AKWA IBOM STATE Governor, Deacon Udom Emmanuel, has just announced the constitution of a task force for the reactivation of Akwa Palm Industries Limited at Etebi in Esit Eket Local Government Area. The government statement did not state any further details as to what the Task Force was supposed to do.

It is sad that a government that has spent almost four years governing the state is just waking up to the realization of the enormous potentialities of the Akwa Palm Industries Limited. It is even more intriguing that Gov. Emmanuel, who since three years has been battling, in vain, to grow cocoanut at Mkpat Enin, against all entreaties, to reactivate the Akwa Palm Industries Limited, which had more potentialities for a quicker realization and for a faster benefit for the state, is just inaugurating a Task Force less than two months to election.

We consider deacon Emmanuel’s action as another of his desperate acts aimed at deceiving the people for election purposes.  It also shows that deacon Emmanuel is fast studying the outstanding blueprint of Obong Nsima Ekere and ignorantly aping aspects of it, without a commensurate policy framework for better results.

Obong Nsima Ekere, had in his speech at the presentation of the “NEW VISION FOR OUR COLLECTIVE PROSPERITY” document, his prospectus for the economic and social advancement of the state, listed the immediate reactivation of the Akwa Palm Industries as one of his immediate priorities. He had stated that within the first one hundred days in office as governor, he would give life to the plantation to immediately throw up thousands of direct and indirect jobs. The place, he said, was a low hanging job creation fruit that would set the tone for massive employment and sustained industrial empowerment of the state.

We state that, a man who in four years was flourishing in the poverty of the philosophy of governance could not have noticed this low hanging fruit. To set up a Task Force on the eve of his departure as governor, is only playing politics of deception, and mocking the collective sensibilities of the people. Gov. Emmanuel has no plan for the Akwa Palm Industries and this, he has demonstrated in four years. He was so oblivious of the economic potentials of Akwa Palm that in his four years of pretentious, shifty and weak industrialization drive, he never looked at the place; never even considered it important for  his “ groundbreaking” frenzy.

Deacon Udom Emmanuel cannot deceive the people with this vote-seeking inauguration of a task force. We reiterate that a task force cannot take the place of a well thought out policy direction and action plan, such as the one Obong Nsima Ekere has already articulated and envisaged for Akwa Palm Industries Limited. If deacon Emmanuel had any inkling as to what to do with Akwa Palm, perhaps he would have articulated it and planned for it in the 2019 budget proposal he made to the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, instead of this resort to an emergency task force. Deacon Emmanuel’s motive for the inauguration of this task force is, therefore, suspicious, spurious and clearly only aimed at scamming the people for votes.

The bad news for Gov. Udom Emmanuel is that, Akwa Ibom people will not look back at their total rejection of this government that has not been able to initiate the right type of policies and governance plan that could yield the desired result of economic prosperity for the people and industrial growth for the state. No amount of desperation can change the firm commitment of Akwa Ibom people to embrace Obong Nsima Ekere, the All Progressives Congress, candidate, whose political, Social and economic blueprint has continued to resonate with the people. Come March, 2, 2019, Akwa Ibom people, who are interested in the functioning of Akwa Palm Limited, will give their votes to Obong Nsima Ekere, the man who has the initiative and well articulated plans for its reactivation. Our Akwa Ibom State deserves the best.

Hon Eseme Eyiboh
Chairman, Information and Strategic Communication committee and Spokesperson, Akwa Ibom State APC Campaign Organisation.

Put Together By Uwem Sunday James.