GOV ENO SEEKS COLLABORATION WITH NIGER DELTA MINISTRY FOR OPTIMAL DEVELOPMENT
By The Evangelist News edition, Friday 15, 2023. Admin.
Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has advocated greater collaborations between the Ministry of Niger Development and States within the region, assuring on the readiness of his administration to embrace such synergy to foster positive developments.
Governor Eno made the advocacy while exchanging views with a delegation from the Ministry of Niger Delta Development led by the Minister, Engr. Abubakar Momoh, who paid him a courtesy visit at Government House, Uyo.
The Governor lauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s inclusivity disposition in governance, explaining that the President has demonstrated governance beyond party lines.
He congratulated Engr. Momoh on his appointment as Minister of Niger Delta, saying that the slight delay in announcing a minister for the Ministry had caused agitations among the people of the region.
The Governor said that the Minister’s visit to States of the region, particularly Akwa Ibom, was apt, and explained that the development plans of the Ministry were already integral in his ARISE Agenda development manual of his administration.
He said, “I feel very happy that you really want to see for yourself, the situation of our states and the people you are going to work with, get to meet the governors and look beyond politics and think of how to develop our various states in partnership with the Governors.
“I will like to thank the approach of the President for his inclusivity in governance and it is a very welcome approach that this President is working with people across party lines.
“You can see his appointment, there are people of other parties there.
“You could see the things he is doing. He wants to carry everyone along. I always believed that party is a platform to seek election to serve our people. And once God has given us the opportunity which only him can do, next is to collaborate and serve the people.”
He expressed reservation over the poor presence of the federal government projects in Akwa Ibom State despite her enormous contributions to the nation’s revenue base.
The State Chief Executive therefore advocated regular meetings of the leadership of the Ministry with State governments of the region to explore best ways to approach the peculiar development needs of the area, avoid duplicity and conflicts in project execution, reassuring on his administration’s commitments to collaborate for the betterment of the State.
“I am proposing a regular meeting between the Niger Delta Ministry, the Niger Delta Development Commission, the Government and Governors of the Niger Delta regions.
“If we have that meeting regularly , we will be able to work with you, we will be able to come to that meeting and discuss issues together as Niger Delta States, and sit with you and speak with one voice, and we will be able to know the challenges facing the people.
“We will be able to know how to help approach Mr. President and you will be to tell us the things you can do and the things you can not do. We will be able to have collaborations between our states and the Niger Delta Ministry”, he stated .
Earlier, the Minister of Niger Delta Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh, said his visit to the state was part of his tour of the region to seek synergy with state governors to garner full support from the federal government to expedite development in the Niger Delta region and expressed delight over the warm reception accorded him in the state, pledging to ensure cooperation with the Umo Eno led government.
Engr. Momoh identified insecurity and infrastructure deficit as the challenge of the region and stressed the need to do away with all sorts of counterproductive power play and conflicts to make room for needed cooperation and collaborations to tackle the problems.
