Akwa Ibom State governor, Umo Eno, has scored his administration’s performance in the last two years 50 percent, maintaining that his major achievement remains the peace and unity being experienced in the state.
Governor Eno was addressing guests during his second year anniversary state banquet held at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Uyo.
He attributed the unprecedented peace and unity to God’s grace, love and the cooperation of the people of the state and charged Akwa Ibom people to continue to work in peace, love, unity and respect for one another, saying that political parties should be seen as platforms for election, after which comes governance.
“Whatever we have been able to achieve is because of the grace and faithfulness of God, as well as the cooperation of our people.
“For me, the greatest achievement is not in all those things you saw in the documentary. The greatest achievement is the peace that God has brought into this state; that is my greatest achievement.
“Like His Excellency, Otuekong Don Etiebet said, we know how this state used to be. It would be difficult for all of us to gather in this room because of political affiliations.
“Someone would die in a family and you cannot attend the burial openly so that they don’t think you are involved in an anti-party activity.
“We were made to think that wisdom resides in one political party. I want you all to understand that wisdom resides in all of us as Akwa Ibom people, not political parties.
“I thank God today that we can stay under one roof and discuss together; we can all contribute to governance, reach out to our brothers and see political parties only as vehicles for election. And whoever God brings, he becomes the governor for all, and bring people together.
“Let’s continue to push; we must live for each other and learn to extend hands of fellowship to people. That is the truth, we cannot continue to do ‘the winner takes it all.’ We need to bring people and learn how to work with the people,” he noted.
He expressed gratitude to his political godfather and predecessor, Udom Emmanuel, for his vision, pursuit, resilience and support that brought him to power.
He also appreciated all the past governors of the state for their respective contributions to the development of the state.
On his part, an elder statesman, Don Etiebet, described Governor Eno as a phenomenon, a spiritually-filled and an enigmatic leader, sent by God to serve Akwa Ibom in a critical time such as this.
He appreciated the governor for his good leadership role by reuniting the ethnic, social and political fragments of the state which, according to him, has brought an end to the era of political kidnappings and killings.
Etiebet noted that as a compassionate leader, Governor Eno has won the heart of Akwa Ibom people given his pragmatic approach to governance.
In their separate remarks, Senator Ekong Sampson, Senator Effiong Bob, former deputy governor, Obong Nsima Ekere, and the state chairmen of the PDP and the APC, and the chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, congratulated the governor on successful two years of impact which according to them, has motivated his endorsement for a second term by all the political parties in the state.
