Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has again extended his hands of fellowship to aggrieved parties to sheathe their swords for peace in order to allow functional democracy thrive in the state.
Addressing the people in a broadcast to commemorate the state’s 36th anniversary yesterday, Eno paid glowing tributes to former military leader, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), for heeding the yearnings and aspirations of the founding fathers to create the state on September 23, 1987 and commended successive administrations, both military and civilian, for their efforts on sustainable peace and socio-economic development.
“Politics is over, now is the time for governance,” Eno said, and reminded aggrieved politicians to emulate President Bola Tinubu’s liberal and inclusive government, devoid of political party sentiment but geared towards effective repositioning of the polity.
Appealing that he was also on a mission to consolidate by etching his name on the record for posterity, Eno admitted that the task demands a holistic action plan, requiring all hands across party lines to attain success.
He said: “In the course of my campaign, I had pledged to demystify governance and make myself available to the common people, since it is from that segment of the society that God raised me through the instrumentality of my political father to be the governor of this blessed state today.
“We are determined to ensure that our comparative advantage in blue economy is utilized to improve the quality of lives of our fishermen as well as our tourism sector, which is a critical sector in our ‘Arise Agenda’.
“In my inaugural address, concerned about the political polarization in our dear State, I had stated that Elections are over, and our kindred spirit must be renewed and deepened. We are all Akwa Ibomites 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 Akwa Ibomites, irrespective of political persuasions or affiliations. Instead of war-war on critical issues of our development, unity and brotherhood,” he said.
