Akwa Ibom State Government says it is ready to enter into partnership with potential investors or organisations that will collaborate with it to turn its environmental challenges into a profitable and sustainable waste-to-wealth economy.
The state governor, Umo Eno, announced this in Uyo during a media interaction to mark his third anniversary on Saturday.
Eno, who expressed concern over the environmental condition of the state despite huge allocations to the Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency, said he had directed the agency to seek investors in waste management.
“I have directed the State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency to let us get a company that can help us work to turn this waste into wealth. The day we find that company and partner with them, you will not see waste again in our state.
“We are doing so much but getting few results. I want the agency to say how much we have put into it since I became the governor of the state,” Eno said
He, however, cautioned against indiscriminate refuse dumping and called for proper education of the populace on the issue.
On road construction, the governor disclosed that his administration has delivered over 1,348 kilometres of roads in three years, adding that the achievement is significant when compared with over 2,700 kilometres of roads delivered by the federal government within the same period.
He said, “Gentlemen, we have fixed 1,348 kilometres of roads in this state. Even the federal government, which is fixing 2,700 kilometres, checked the president’s broadcast. And if the federal government has done 2,700 and the subnational is doing and has completed 1,348 kilometres, that subnational should be celebrated.”
The governor said no government would do all the roads in the state at the same time, noting that as old roads are being constructed or fixed, new ones are being opened up.
“Let us not deceive ourselves; we will not do all the roads. There’s no government, not even the next one that would come and the next one that will come again, until Jesus comes. No government will fix all the roads because as you are fixing, new ones are opening up, but we should appreciate the fact that we are working on economically viable roads. There’s no local government in the state where road contracts have not been awarded. These are verifiable things,” Eno stated.
Patrick Odey
