Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has described governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State as a man of character, known for keeping to his words.
Obasanjo who made the remark shortly before commissioning a 29-kilometer dual carriage way with two cable bridges along Etinan-Ndon Eyo Road in the state, commended the governor for always finding him worthy to commission important and people oriented projects in Akwa Ibom.
His words: “I don’t know why anything good and very good in Akwa Ibom State, you will call me to take part in it. The longest flyover in Uyo, you asked me to come and commission it and I was very very pleased to be the one who commissioned that flyover.
“Again, with the amazing grace of God, you have this, the longest, first class, dualised road in the state. You again asked me to come and commission it. Governor, I thank you. Leadership requires character. Anyone who knows you reasonably well will know that you are a man of character.
“And one of the characteristics of a man or woman of character is to be a man of his or her words. When you say you will do it, you’ll do it. I have seen that in you at close quarters. Just keep on doing what you are doing.
“The infrastructures that you are putting in place are very, very good. When we have good infrastructure, when we have a road like this going through the rural area, there must also be what the people would do to ensure that they make maximum use and take maximum advantage of the infrastructure.
“If they are farmers, they have opportunities to farm more. If they are traders, they have opportunity to trade more. Whatever you are, you now have opportunity to enhance whatever you are doing. God has given you the enablement, and God will continue to strengthen you”
Speaking earlier, governor Udom Emmanuel attributed his achievements since came on board to the grace of God, and appealed to the people to support the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Pastor Umo Eno in 2023, by converting all the love they have for him into votes for Eno
“Without God it would not have been possible at all. So we thank God for what we’ve seen today. We still have a whole lot to celebrate. Tomorrow we will be in Udung Uko to commission roads in that local government. In the past 35years no government has constructed roads through Udung Uko.
” And within the week I will be in Uruan local government. Administrations have come and gone, Uruan has not had any good road. This is the first time. Let Uruan also celebrate this administration.
“When I look at all these , I feel fulfilled, that despite the challenges in the economy we are still making impacts in communities. To me the one that will speak in generations to come is the Altar that we are building. We are going to link that altar to the altar in Heaven.
“After we have commission that altar the altar in heaven would just be speaking Blessing, annointing, glory, grace, promotion, prosperity, peace upon Akwa Ibom people. With Oruk Anam Road commissioning we end this segment and another segment will be in December”, Udom said.
Giving overview of the project, Commissioner for Works and Fire Service,Prof Eno Ibanga noted that the Road has 10.3meters on each carriage way, with two cable decorated bridges of 80meters each at Onna and Etinan axis.
“Besides all the technicalities shown, as you drive from Etinan- Ndon Eyo, we have 13 outfall drains which takes water away from the Road immediately it rains. And those outfall drains are about 6.3.6kms in all ,some of them are 600meters. The longest is 1.6meters.
“We have full Street light, from beginning of this project till the end. As we are here, we demonstrated that it is not just a decoration by asking that the streetlight be on. Also from Etinan, when this road construction started there was flooding at that end.
“They had to construct 1.3kms underground drain that takes all the water out of Etinan into the Ekpene Ukpa Bridge. This Road as you see is a masterpiece, it speaks for itself and there is nothing anybody can say more than to tell His Excellency thank you.
“This is a gateway for all industrialization, vehicular movement. His Excellency has done this to tell the world that everything is possible with the right passion”. Prof Eno said
