Akwa Ibom Government has granted a waiver for fees worth N95 million to secure Certificate of Occupancy for the immediate take-off of the Federal College of Education, Ididep in Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area.
The State Governor Umo Eno who announced this on Friday, during inspection of facilities at the Presbyterian Senior Science School, Ididep, the proposed site of the institution, said the certificate of occupancy would be ready this week.
The gestures though deliberate, according to him, demonstrated his government’s commitment to development and deeper collaboration between the state and the Federal Government.
“We have come today; we have seen. There are dues that the Federal Government is required to pay, which sum up to about ninety-five million naira. I just waved it this afternoon. Before the end of this week, the Certificate of Occupancy shall be presented to you at no cost to the Federal Government or to anybody.
“The state government has waved that and if there are bills to pay for the surface and all of that, we will handle that. This is because we want to continue to encourage our collaboration between the state and the Federal Government,” he said.
The Governor acknowledged that his visit to the school was to explore ways the state government could fast-track track timely commencement of academic activities in the institution.
He commended the immediate past Senior Special Assistant to former President Muhammadu Buhari on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Ita Enang, for using his position to facilitate the siting of a Federal College of Education in the state, seeing the gesture as an attribute of a true son, which is worthy of emulation by other sons and daughters of the state currently in positions of authority.
Eno reaffirmed his commitment to serving the people of the state across party lines devoid of bias, calling on Akwa Ibom people to forgo political misgivings by joining hands with him in building a greater Akwa Ibom.
Senator Enang, who received Governor Eno at the college premises, thanked him for his cooperation and support towards the speedy take-off of the institution, assuring to reciprocate the gesture to ensuring the success of his administration.
Earlier, the Chairman of Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area, Mr. Ekpoimo Polycarp, had lauded the governor’s commitment to developing Ibiono Ibom and his contributions to the commencement of the institution.
Polycarp, therefore, pledged the support of Ibiono Ibom people to the Umo Eno administration.
