The fifth democratically elected governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno, and the first elected female deputy governor, Senator Akon Eyakenyi, have both taken the oath of office.
The oath of office and allegiance was given to the pair on Monday at around 1:00 pm at the Godswill Akpabio International stadium in Uyo by the state’s chief judge, Justice Ekaette Obot.
The new executive governor of the state, Pastor Umo Eno, promised the crowd during his inauguration speech that he would serve all Akwa Ibom citizens, regardless of their political affiliations.
He urged all political players to put their differences aside and work with him to advance the state, pleading that politics must not separate the bonds of their shared ancestry or brotherhood.
His words: “I ask you to A.R.I.S.E,. with us and lets usher in the Golden Era for our dear State and our people. Elections are over, and our kindred spirit must be renewed and deepened, We are all Akwaibomites first before politics.
“Politics therefore must not separate or sever the ties of our brotherhood and common heritage and aspirations. I pledge to you that I will be Governor for all Akwaibomites, irrespective of political persuasions or affiliations
” I call on our people to come together, and let’s build s State where the pain of one Akwaibomite is the pain of all, and where the success of one Akwaibomite is the success for all.
“We have been too polarized by politics, This should not be. As I said in my Victory Speech, we will set up a bi-partisan reconciliation committee soon, so we can jaw-jaw instead of war-war on critical issues of our development, unity and brotherhood”
The newly sworn-in governor stressed that he could not achieve or actualize his visions for the state alone adding, “This is a collective responsibility, and I am very sure all of you patriotic citizens of Akwa Ibom State, will join hands with me to further push the developmental strides as handed down by my worthy Predecessor”
He thanked all stakeholders that supported his aspiration and stood by him all through including Traditional Rulers and religious leaders, the political class, elder statesmen, groups, former leaders of the state and Akwa Ibom people in the Diaspora
Pastor Eno who specially thanked his predecessor for supporting him against all odds stressed, “His Excellency I don’t want to be an orphan. Please don’t walk away, I still need your wise Counsel. I promise I will make you proud. We will lead this State in the way of the Lord”
He extolled his predecessors for his great achievement for the state in the past 8 years, saying, “We owe my Predecessor and Political Father our debt of gratitude.
“From aviation development, where today we are the only sub national with a thriving airline in the nation, the Ibom Air, to the smartest Airport Terminal building, the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO); the longest Taxiway in the nation, with Category 2 Certification.
“We will create the enabling environment for our youths to thrive, since every one cannot be given political appointments. My worthy Predecessor, H.E. Udom Emmanuel had commenced the digitalization of the Civil Service, we will complete the process of E-governance.
“We will prioritize the welfare of our civil servants and encourage a spirit of entrepreneurship in line with our dakkada spirit. My dear Akwaibomites, it may interest you to know that the first letter in our A.R.I.S.E. Agenda is Agriculture.
“We will invest heavily in this critical sector, and cause a revolution to occur. Agriculture is the new black gold and we will get our people involved. We will deploy our comparative advantage in blue economy, and ensure that our fishermen get proper financial value for their work.
“We will work hard to ensure that this critical element of the Social Contract is maintained, so our people can continue to live in peace. Security of lives and property is the first order of business for government and we will follow this strictly.
“We’ll continue to attract foreign investors by creating a business-friendly environment for investors to come live, invest and enjoy the Happy Hour that comes with hard work
A.R.I.S.E Akwa Ibom, work hard in unity and in brotherhood, and let us collectively usher in the Happy Hour. So let the Happy Hour of the Golden Era begin”
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