AKWA IBOM A STORY OF RECKLESS SPENDING AND MISPLACED PRIORITIES Fellow citizens of Akwa Abasi Ibom State, Abraham Lincoln’s definition of democracy still induces a resounding reaction amongst individuals. “Democracy is the government of the people, by the people, for the people”. Government’s actions must be formulated for the benefit of the people. Government must not be run like a fiefdom or the personal estate of the Chief Executive. It must be run in a way that brings about a higher standard of life for the people, in a way that caters for the essential welfare of the people and provides them the enabling environment to thrive regardless of race, gender, tribe and any other social prejudice. Figures from the Ministry of Finance suggest that Akwa Ibom state has accrued nothing less than 3.351 Trillion Naira from the Federal Government; 20 billion per month over a 72 month Period since May 2007 when Gov. Godswill Obot Akpabio CON came into power. The breakdown is as follows 1.44 Trillion from the Federation Account, over 410 Billion from the excess crude account ( for the years: 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012) 400 Billion from Paris Club Debt reconciliation, 18.3 Billion from Sure-P allocations, 10.7 Billion from the Ecological fund on the average with an Internally Generated Revenue of 800 Million per month. Indeed, Akwa Ibom State is a rich State, but very little of the State’s resources are used to better the life of the people. The State’s resources are instead used for a show of grandeur and extravagance which is highly imprudent, economically wasteful and indiscreet. An unfortunate example of this is when the State Governor had procured, as a wedding gift 2 Toyota Prado SUVs for musician 2face and his wife, as if this was not enough he sponsored herds of people to the wedding in Dubai on State funds. Another unfortunate public incidence was when the Governor had during a zonal reconciliation session last year held in Port-Harcourt and Broadcasted on Channels TV donated N1million Naira each to the State Chairmen of South-South states to buy “Mr. Biggs”. An investigation by Premium Times shows how the Governor had spent N2.3bn Naira between 2009-2011 on private jet charters by conveying himself and private visitors to and from the state at the Governor’s instance. This expenditure I find unconscionable and morally irreprehensible as I will explain further. This excessive show of extravagance is reflected in the day to day running of the State, where State projects are not reasonably justified as per the monies spent on them. The State is Reckless and Fiscally Irresponsible. An unclouded example of this is the fanfare generated by the Governor recently at the opening of the thirty thousand seater stadium. The fanfare was a needless and ostentatious show of wastefulness. I put it to you that the State Government spent nothing less than 2 billion that night on an opening ceremony of a Stadium that cost 16 Billion Naira to build. Flying in of all sorts of guest, the fanfare, live broadcast across various channels, the hosting of dignitaries and their delegation, performances, logistics and so many more cost a lot of money. If the stadium hadn’t been open in that way would it have magically disappeared in the surface on which it was built?. I guess we all know the answer to that. A prudent mind would have put such monies to better use, by at least finishing the Twentieth Anniversary Hospital Project in Uyo which was meant to serve as the State’s premier health center but has since become a moribund venture. Provision of healthcare directly enhances the welfare of the people, Stadiums do not. Clearly the Gov. Godswill Akpabio led Akwa Ibom state Government has misplaced priorities. Furthermore, the Stadium is an economic paradox, according to the Daily Independent the project cost the state 16 Billion Naira to provide 5,000 jobs. An investment of such a sum should not just create only 5,000 jobs; most of which are part-time jobs as the Stadium doesn’t run for 365 days in a year. Wouldn’t it be better spending Billions of Naira to create jobs all over the State through public-private partnership than to spend 16 Billion creating 5,000 part time jobs?. Akwa Ibom State has potential for a lot of industry due to its endowment of numerous natural resources rather than just over reliance on a declining oil wealth. For example, in Esit Eket, Mbo, Etim Ekpo, Eastern Obolo and Oron Local Government Areas we have in large quantities Silica Sand used in the creation of glass and abrasive products. Ini local Government Area has in large quantity Limestone estimated at more than 1000 trillion tons which could last over 200 hundred years, and it is used for the production of Cement, Hydrated limes, and precipitated Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3). Ini and Uyo Local Government Areas have Clay in large quantity. By quantity surveying carried out by scientists hired by the Akwa Ibom State Government, the ratio of Clay in the State can last over a hundred years, and clay has the scientific energy of growing back in seconds after a tap. This is used for the production of pottery, Ceramics and Cement. Funds would have been used to create a premium ceramic industry. Uyo, Uruan, Nsit Ibom Local Government Areas have in great quantity Sodium Chloride used for the manufacturing of Soda Ash, Table Salt, and Caustic Soda . These are just a very few of the potential opportunities in the state which can create jobs and are not being utilized at all. This sorry state of things can be directly attributed to the recklessness of the Gov. Akpabio Administration and its lack of focus. In 2011 after Governor Akpabio’s re-election the Akwa Ibom State budget was themed the Budget of Industrialization, with monies eventually appropriated to key into just a few of the resources mentioned earlier and restore dilapidated industries in the state such as the Abestonit Industry Ltd in Oron, the Qua Steel Industry in Eket, the Akwa Palm Industry in Esit Ekit and so many more. These projects never saw the light of day. An investigation by Liberty Voice a civil Society group shows that the Original costing for the Ibom Tropicana resort was N33 Billion Naira; however, the project was reviewed to 67 Billion Naira without any structural changes nor justification as to why the project would cost more than double of the original cost. The same source reveals that 300 Billion Naira had been spent on the Ibom Power Project, even though it had been completed by the Obong Victor Attah administration. This is a project that today as we speak does not generate electricity. A plant that is suffering from neglect as Akwa Ibom still suffers abysmal power supply. Steady power supply would have created so many opportunities for our people to create wealth and employment, but unfortunately the Gov. Akpabio regime has squandered this opportunity despite the great resources to do so at its disposal. This reveals that due to the recklessness of the Gov. Goodswill Akpabio Administration projects are costing the average Akwa Ibomite double, sometimes triple and in the case of the airport 100 times more than the original amount it should cost for a project. This unfair situation is made possible due to the temerity and utter disregard for fiscal responsibility displayed by the Godswill Akpabio led Akwa Ibom State Government. It is regrettable that this inequitable situation is allowed to thrive in a state like Akwa Ibom; the level of poverty is deplorable, 54% of Akwa Ibom citizens live under less than a dollar a day according to the Knoema Data World Atlas. 65% of the population within the working age bracket is unemployed suggests an article by Premium Times. This is a State which according to the Minister of Finance has a per capita (GDP divided by population) of $ 360 USD this is higher than that of our West African Neighbors Ghana ($255) Benin Republic ($146) Liberia ($103), and Gambia ($117). Akwa Ibom today is ranked the No.1 recipient of Federal Allocation at $1.7bn in 2013. Liberty Voice also reveals that the Akwa Ibom International Airport should have cost not more than 5 Billion Naira. However the project ended up gulping 500 Billion. This discrepancy is well known to the Akwa Ibom State Government who had set up a Commission of Inquiry to Investigate and release a white paper on the Airports Expenditure. This white paper has never been released and the status of the inquiry unknown. May I use this opportunity to remind the public that despite the staggering sum spent on the project the Airport stands unfinished. The original plan for the airport included a Maintenance, Repair and Operations Hanger this would have positioned Uyo to be a hub for maintenance and repair of Aircrafts in the Gulf of Guinea region. This project which is the essential revenue generating element of the Airport project has been neglected. The Governments recklessness has further compounded the States debt problems as the Akwa Ibom is being immersed deeper and deeper into more debt. Just last year, as you all must be aware by now the Debt Management Office listed Akwa Ibom State (the richest State in the country) amongst the 5 states with a high domestic debt level, this prompted the Central Bank to send a circular to the banks warning them that whoever lends to the State did so at his own risk. This is why it came as no surprise when, in April last year the State hurriedly borrowed the enormous sum of $500 million dollars from Standard Charted International, London to fund a pre-existing 78billion Naira loan owed to UBA. After the bank had made demands due to non-performance. Fellow citizens of Akwa Abasi Ibom State, the Akpabio regime has lost us great opportunities that we may not be able to recover. His recklessness must end now in order to forestall further damage to our blessed state. All well meaning Akwa Ibomities must come together to put a stop to the “Third Term Ambition” of Gov. Godswill Obot Akpabio CON. Yours in Service Hon. Robinson Uwak Member Representing Oron Federal Constituency
Posted on: Sun, 30 Nov 2014 22:27:40 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015