UDOM EMMANUEL'S ENTERPRISE-ECONOMIC
STRATEGY
Aniekeme Finbarr
Every governorship aspirant in Akwa Ibom State
sings about industrialization and wealth
creation like a canticle to win votes at next
month's polls. But there is only one of them
who has the magic wand, the most efficient
model and the practical experience to bring
these lofty dreams to realization. His name is
Udom Emmanuel. Udom's focus is to cut waste
of public resources and create tangible jobs for
the teeming and intelligent work force. There
are a million ways he can go about it.
Udom will encourage enterprise by expanding
the economy and promoting industries so that
jobs and business opportunities are created. To
achieve that, he will work on practical
statistics. As he has said severally that he will
within the first few months put out a
mechanism in place to get the statistics of the
unemployed and their fields of endeavour to
work with. He will engage the youths
themselves in the process of getting these
figures.
Udom will develop special Industrial Parks,
centres and clusters in strategic areas that will
target young people and women who start
small businesses and providing access to
electricity, water, capital equipment and clean
sanitary environments and improved access
roads. This will boost growth at the local
government level and help to stem rural-urban
migration, itself a
significant strain on Akwa Ibom State's major
towns.
Udom will equip the investment parks with
major capital items required in operating small
businesses such as motor mechanics,
plumbing, artisans, leather and wood works,
carpentry and similar trades. He will, for
instance, provide tools for technicians and ICT-
based enterprises. These are realistic measures
and Udom will provide training services and
create market for locally produced goods and
services internally, regionally and
internationally with his contacts. Udom through
the proper agency will assist in promoting
brand-names of locally manufactured, products
to boost incomes for promising artisans.
Whatever the name would be called or which
government unit will handle it, Udom will build
on the Economic Stimulus Program (ESP) by
establishing local economic development
agencies at local government levels so that
every LGA and constituency will have access to
crucial facilities and services. To further
enciurage investors, Udom will introduce tax
breaks for companies that establish
apprenticeship programmes for young people
equipping young people with necessary skills
and technology. As an experienced investment
banker of the highest level, Udom understands
the proper model for funding of businesses. He
will encourage the development of micro-
financial schemes for new businesses and
farmers along the lines of renowned and
successful investment Bank models.
With the right indices in place, Udom will spark
a revolution in manufacturing. Jim Ovia's $1.5
billion methanol plant in Ibeno will be key.
Ovia's $1.5 billion plant will put Akwa Ibom
State on the global map for
petrochemicals processing, particularly given
the role that global brands such as IHS and
Saipem are playing as the
consultants and project developer of the
initiative respective to. A heavy
industry like a petrochemical and methanol
plant will birth lots and lots of small scale
industries that will utilize the base material
from the plant to produce other goods. Lots of
jobs
and opportunities will popup in Akwa Ibom as a
result of
this.
The Ibaka deep sea port is the main ace in
Udom's enterprise economy strategy. Udom has
noticed the
Lacuna and shipping logistic needs created by
the activities of Lagos, Port Harcourt and
Calabar Port. He will catch in to develop this
deep seaport. The Ibaka sea port, currently used
mainly for fishing activities and water transport
for small crafts is a natural deep seaport of
over 18 metres of
draft without dredging, with a quay area
expected to span over
two miles in terms of length, which makes it a
safe haven for
mega vessels of over 10,000 tells on
completion, thus making it the largest in the
gulf of Guinea. The Lagos
ports complex, being the busiest and oldest
port in the country, for now is over burdened
with a combination of both technical and
managerial problems. The Port Harcourt port
has
for over a decade now operated below expected
berthing and haulage capacity with interlude of
peak times, while the Calabar Port built over
three decades ago has remained grossly
unutilized. Ibaka deep seaport holds the ace.
Udom knows that the Ibaka Sea Port will
distribute traffic and maritime trade away from
the suffocating Lagos road traffic to new
grounds. It will create employment for over
100,000 Akwa Ibom people in addition to the
down stream economic benefits of the
establishment of refinery, industries,
independent power plant, trade and commerce.
The Ibaka deep Sea Port has natural features
that will make it a
cargo hub within the gulf of Guinea and
besides, much of its cargoes will be delivered to
neighboring ports by lighters and would not be
affected by shore logistic problems but Udom
also knows that the state needs integrated
road network for haulage mostly by heavy duty
trucks and that he will provide.
Udom hopes to develop tourism as an
enterprise economy unit in a
sustainable manner as a critical source of
revenue and employment generation as well as
for wealth creation . Governor Akpabio strongly
believes in the great tourism potentials of Akwa
Ibom State. Akwa Ibom has a rich history of
early contact with Europeans. Mary Slessor
spent the later part of her life in Akwa
Ibom where she died . Lord Lugard signed the
amalgamation papers in Ikot Abasi . Ikot
Ekpene was the first place where Local
Government administration was experimented.
Slave trading posts were at Ikot
Abasi. The Women Riot started in Akwa
Ibom .They are so many.
With the entire planned infrastructure in place ,
airport , a seaport and rail lines, the state is
accessible and
definitely a tourism destination in the sub
region. Already the state is now the preferred
spot for conferences and retreats in Nigeria.
Tropicana
entertainment complex will help us to develop
tourism in a sustainable manner as a critical
source of
revenue and employment generation as well as
wealth creation. In this regard, Udom will
Promote Akwa Ibom state as an end
destination rather than a stop over with the
aim of doubling the number of tourists to 3
million
visitors a year. He will provide incentives to
encourage investment in tourist
accommodation to increase hotel bed capacity
across the country.
Udom will introduce incentives, diversify
products and improve other
infrastructure requirements to encourage such
investments that will attract high-value tourism
such as business conferences, sports tourism
and medical tourism, especially with our
Anniversary hospital in view.
Udom will enhance the mandate and increase
the funding of the Akwa Ibom
Tourist Board to enable it to promote a
diversified range of tourist destinations beyond
our beautiful national parks and promote
investment in high quality alternative
attractions. He will enhance security so that
tourists feel safe visiting our state. This
includes protecting not only tourists visiting
Akwa Ibom State, but the environment itself,
and ensuring that the appropriate conservation
measures are in place at all times.
In agriculture, he will Introduce affordable state
loans to subsidize fertilizer and farm equipment
as a way of ensuring food security. Udom will
make it easy for AkwaIbomites to lease
agricultural land and provide extension
services. He will create and encourage
Agricultural Investment Trusts (AITs) through
tax incentives to direct private investment into
the agricultural sector.
Udom certainly wil encourage mechanization
and value addition so that young Akwa Ibom
people can find employment and investment
opportunities in agriculture. As part of the big
plan, he will establish a state livestock
insurance scheme and
introduce an acceptable livestock evaluation
system that would make it easier for
pastoralists to access credit.
And for the purpose of learning encourage every
school to have a model agricultural and fish
farm.
There are several other sectors and facets the
Udom Emmanuel administration will touch on
but these few are enumerated here to wet the
appetite of the good people of Akwa Ibom
State. Akwa Ibom State is on a fast lane to
prosperity and the people have seen the right
direction. Think right good people. Vote Udom
Emmanuel for Governor, Akwa Ibom State.

UDOM IS RIGHT

rozayx5:
UDOM IS RIGHT

For sure Brother.. let's spread d message

Waka Ubok Udom, ku waka ufien