Ahead of the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly billed for next month, Akwa Ibom indigenes in the Diaspora have endorsed the candidacy of the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, as the next President of the Senate, noting that his pair with the incoming Nigerian President, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, would engender socio-economic developments and peace in the country.
Under the aegis of Concerned Ekid People in the Diaspora (CEPD), members of the forum drawn from Eket and Esit Eket Local Government Areas of Akwa Ibom State, have appealed to Nigerian Senators-elect, to support Senator Akpabio to emerge as Senate President, saying “he is the most suitable for the position.”
Rising from a meeting in Uyo, the State capital, leaders of the group including its international coordinator, Manfred Ekpe; Prof. Sonny Abia, Coordinator, United States; Prof. Udofia Sam, Coordinator, Europe, and Prof. Felix Edoho (USA) and others in a communique issued yesterday, endorsed the former Senate Minority Leader, noting that, “he has an established antecedents of performance, which was clearly demonstrated when he served as Governor between 2007 and 2015, and Honourable Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.”
Describing the former governor of Akwa Ibom as a detribalised leader, thinker and creator, the group pointed out that “Akpabio will align with Tinubu, with his wealth of experience and his social engineering skills will be very useful especially at a time like this when the peace of Nigeria is threatened by ethnic agitations and economic straits.”
Part of the communique reads: “Senator Godswill Akpabio having proven his mettle as Governor of Akwa Ibom State (2007– 2015) and having lifted our dear state in human capacity development and in infrastructural development as never before experienced in state history, a detribalised leader, thinker, a dreamer, builder and creator per excellence, we are quite sure that Nigeria needs his wealth of experience and social engineering skills at such a time like this to revive Nigeria back to life.
“We therefore endorse Senator Akpabio as the man most suitable to preside over the legislative business of the nation for the making of good laws that will help rejuvenate the nation.
We join men of goodwill in Nigeria and appeal to the Senators -elect, to choose Senator Godswill Akpabio as the President of the 10th Senate , and we are sure that by so doing, Nigeria will rise and run with all cylinders firing at optimum performance.”
The group, therefore, urged Senator Akpabio to work towards impressing it on the Federal Government, to upgrade Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) at Oron, to a full-fledged University, improve infrastructure in the school to standard world-class institution, as well as support the realisation of the proposed Ibom Deep seaport project.
The group also urged the incoming administration to bring to the fore, the social, economic, health and environmental hazards associated with the continued criminalisation of community refining in the Niger Delta, and get the Federal Government to integrate artisanal refiners into the oil and gas sector in the region.
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