Gov Udom Emmanuel: A deserved Man of The Year conferment at National Daily Awards

Governor Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, the Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State, earned a deserved conferment of National Daily Governor of The Year Award at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, under the chairmanship of Prince Julius Adelusi Adeluyi, and the Special Guest of Honour, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who delivered the keynote address.
Governor Emmanuel served as Governor of Akwa Ibom State for eight years of two tenures – May 29, 2015, and May 29, 2019, on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Governor Emmanuel was Chief Financial Officer of Zenith Bank Plc; Group Head, Income Optimization, Financial Control & Strategic Planning Department, Zenith Bank; General Manager, Zenith Bank Plc. He was also Executive Director, Zenith Bank Plc. He joined Zenith in 1996 from Diamond Bank Limited.
Governor Emmanuel later became Secretary to the State Government before emerging as Akwa Ibom Governor.
Governor Emmanuel was an all season and sector development achiever in his eight years of two consecutive
tenures in the governance of Akwa Ibom State. He added value to governance, taking Akwa Ibom State to higher pedestal of growth and development from what he inherited from his predecessor. He was committed to transforming Akwa Ibom from a civil service to an industrialized state; he sustained public private partnership initiative, opened opportunities for growth, delivering dividends of democracy towards better standard of living of residents of the state, including promoting rural development and integration; spreading over health, education, infrastructure, economy, among others.

Governor Emmanuel left indelible legacy projects at the end of his tenure which include 3.5km Afaha Ima-Leprosy Hospital Road, the 3.5Km Afaha Iman-Leprosy Hospital Road, completed with a 0.715Km outfall drain in Etinan Local Government Area; acquisition of two Airbus A320 Aircrafts to Ibom Air Fleet.
The two Airbus A320 series Air crafts boost the operations and investment in the state-owned Airline, Ibom Air.
The Ibom Air acquired a fleet of 7 bombardiers CRJ 900 aircraft, having operational network to six destinations, namely, Uyo, Lagos, Abuja, Calabar, Port Harcourt and Enugu, with at least 22 flights daily.
Ibom Air also expanded operations international flights within the West African sub-region, essentially, with the negotiation with Gambia.
Other legacy projects include 29km dual carriage way Etinan -Ndon Eyo road with 2 cable stayed bridges. The road has two cable stayed bridges, one at Ekpene Ukpa and other at Mkpok with street lightening crisscrossing more than six communities; St. Gabriel Coconut Oil Factory, Mkpat Enin.
The Coconut Oil Factory has capacity to process one million nuts daily, it was inaugurated in Ikot Akpan Okop, Mkpat Enin Local Government. Others include reconstruction of General Hospital, Ikot Ekpene (Phase 1); Completion of 25km Uyo-Ikot Ekpene Dualised Road; completion of Nto Edino / Ekwereazu Twin bridges in Obot Akara Local Govt Area; Ikot Oku Ikono Flyover; Internal Roads in Ikot Akpabin, Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area; completion of Medical Gas and Vacuum Plant, Ituk Mbang; completion of 13.2KM Nkana – Awa Iman Road 2.1km Oron Road, Oron L.G.A; Market Road, Oron L.G.A; completion of the 21-storey smart building in the central business district of Uyo, the Dakkada Towers.
The governor also supervised the completion of 168 Houses in Army Barracks, and overhaul of Water Pump Station and Water Reticulation at 6 Battalion Army Barracks, Ibagwa in Abak Local Government Area.
Completion of State-Of-The-Art 300 Bed Space Isolation Center at Methodist General Hospital, Ituk Mbang, Uruan, LGA; Establishment of Kings Flour Mill for industrial production in Mkpok-Okad Village, Onna LGA. The factory has 4.892m2 of closed area with 47.406m2 of open area.
Establishment of Ibom Agricon Rice Processing Mill in Ini Local Govt Area
Establishment of first rice mill in Akwa Ibom, built in Ini Local Government Area.
Establishment of Greenwell Fertilizer Plant, Akwa Ibom, a public private partnership, PPP, projects, with an annual production capacity of N400,000 metric tons.
The plant is located in Oku Abak, Abak Local Government Area.
The plant has the capacity to blend assorted and multi-purpose types of fertilizer. It currently is producing 3 high in demand types of fertilizer including; 20:10:10; 12:12 17 + 2mgo and 15:15:15.
Establishment of Akwa Ibom Electric Metering Industry. The Electric Metering Industry was inaugurated by former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in ONNA Local Government Area. The industry is to reduce high cost of electricity tariff and encourage micro, small and medium scale businesses to be established across the State. The company produces single-phase and three-phase electricity meters in various configurations and mountings, light weight, slim skeletal, compact meters for pole top installation, prepayment type meters, split type electricity meters, standard one unit electricity meters, bulk electricity meters, maximum demand meters and smart electricity meters.
Other state investments include Quality Ceramics, Tropicana Shoprite Mall, Ibom Deep Sea Port, Ibom Industrial Park/Jetty, Jetty, Refinery, Gas processing plant, Waste to Wealth Plant.
The industrialization policy of the Emmanuel administration has the multiplier effects of creating employment, encouraging production and commerce in Akwa Ibom State.
The Emmanuel administration was loud in the campaign and sensitization for the eradication of Child Abuse, Child Trafficking, Child Abandonment and Baby Factory in Akwa State.
Former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, commissioning the 21-Storey Dakkada Towers in Uyo, had stated: “I’m proud of the Governor’s achievements…especially, the industrialization drive.”
Governor Udom Gabriel Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State was honoured with the National Daily Governor of The Year Award on May 12 in Lagos.