The planned constitution of a task force to reactivate Akwa Palm Industries Limited, Etebi in Esit Eket local government area by Akwa Ibom government is seen by All Progressives Congress, APC in the state as vote-seeking ploy.
Located in Etebi, Esit Eket Local government areas with head office in Uyo, the plantation, which was established in 1988 with World Bank-assisted loan, covers 4.5 hectares.
The task force contradicts the position of Governor Udom Emmanuel who in September 2018, had called on local investors to partner his administration to reactivate the services of the Akwa Palm Industries, noting that it was part of his administration’s comprehensive blueprints on agriculture to re-ignite the social and economic circumstances of the people within the coastal communities.
Though Governor Emmanuel announced the planned constitution of a task force, he did not give details on the terms of reference of the Task Force.
However, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, Chairman, Information and Strategic Communication committee has criticised the government’s delay in constituting the task force, saying, “It is sad that a government that has spent almost four years governing the state is just waking up to the realization of the enormous potentialities of the Akwa Palm Industries Limited.”
Eyiboh who is also the spokesperson, Akwa Ibom State APC Campaign Organisation noted “It is even more intriguing that Gov. Emmanuel, who since three years has been battling, in vain, to grow coconut at Mkpat Enin, against all entreaties, to reactivate the Akwa Palm Industries Limited, which had more potentialities for a quicker realization and for a faster benefit for the state, is just inaugurating a Task Force less than two months to election.”
“We consider deacon Emmanuel’s action as another of his desperate acts aimed at deceiving the people for election purposes. It also shows that deacon Emmanuel is fast studying the outstanding blueprint of Obong Nsima Ekere and ignorantly aping aspects of it, without a commensurate policy framework for better results,” the APC spokesman wrote on the release entitled: UDOM EMMANUEL’S TASK FORCE ON AKWA PALM INDUSTRIES: A FAILED VOTE-SEEKING SCHEME.
He recalled that “Obong Nsima Ekere had in his speech at the presentation of the “NEW VISION FOR OUR COLLECTIVE PROSPERITY” document, his prospectus for the economic and social advancement of the state, listed the immediate reactivation of the Akwa Palm Industries as one of his immediate priorities.
“He had stated that within the first one hundred days in office as governor, he would give life to the plantation to immediately throw up thousands of direct and indirect jobs. The place, he said, was a low hanging job creation fruit that would set the tone for massive employment and sustained industrial empowerment of the state.
“We state that, a man who in four years was flourishing in the poverty of the philosophy of governance could not have noticed this low hanging fruit. To set up a Task Force on the eve of his departure as governor, is only playing politics of deception, and mocking the collective sensibilities of the people.”
The publicity chief lamented that “Governor Emmanuel has no plan for the Akwa Palm Industries and this, he has demonstrated in four years. He was so oblivious of the economic potentials of Akwa Palm that in his four years of pretentious, shifty and weak industrialization drive, he never looked at the place; never even considered it important for his ‘groundbreaking’ frenzy.
“Deacon Udom Emmanuel cannot deceive the people with this vote-seeking inauguration of a task force. We reiterate that a task force cannot take the place of a well thought out policy direction and action plan, such as the one Obong Nsima Ekere has already articulated and envisaged for Akwa Palm Industries Limited.
“If Mr. Emmanuel had any inkling as to what to do with Akwa Palm, perhaps he would have articulated it and planned for it in the 2019 budget proposal he made to the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, instead of this resort to an emergency task force. Deacon Emmanuel’s motive for the inauguration of this task force is, therefore, suspicious, spurious and clearly only aimed at scamming the people for votes.”
“No amount of desperation can change the firm commitment of Akwa Ibom people to embrace Obong Nsima Ekere, the All Progressives Congress, candidate, whose political, Social and economic blueprint has continued to resonate with the people. Come March, 2, 2019, Akwa Ibom people, who are interested in the functioning of Akwa Palm Limited, will give their votes to Obong Nsima Ekere, the man who has the initiative and well articulated plans for its reactivation. Our Akwa Ibom State deserves the best,” he added.
