An All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Larry Esin pledged his administration’s resolve to focus more on three major areas of comparative advantage, if elected into office in the 2023 general elections.E
Esin, while declaring his interest to vie for APC governorship ticket on Wednesday in Uyo, mentioned the areas to include Information, Communication Technology (ICT), Agriculture and Tourism as key sectors in his administration.
He said apart from Lagos children, Akwa Ibom children are the second largest experts in ICT industry in the country, stressing the need to encourage them to grow their talents in the industry.
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According to him, ”In my office in Dubai, I use Akwa Ibom children to do exploits in the ICT. They build soft wares. During ICT Expo in London, I took them there. They did excellently well. We have to encourage the rest by training them, and giving them grants.
”Again, Agriculture is another major sector which we won’t joke. We will encourage our farmers to grow more food.”
”Tourism is another fast growing industry. It is money spinner. We will use this as a driver to bring in more money to develop the state.”
The four-time governorship aspirant noted ”As the 21st century unfolds, developing nations begin yet again a renewed attempt at containing the age old challenge of development: poverty, disease, and political instability.
”These efforts continue to persist in a world that has advanced beyond the classical challenges of development, and is now faced with contemporary problems of development; the challenge of a digital age and globalization: the notion of free trade and borderless markets, multiculturalism and the clash of civilizations, environmental degradation and the moral consequences of science and technology.
He queried ”The question ‘can Nigeria claim the 21st century’ remains therefore largely unanswered, as it attracts very little attention in a world that is growing increasingly impatient with Nigeria’s development malaise, albeit its role in that matter.
”61 years after independence, the condition of life of the average resident of our State and country presents a complicated dimension of the basic challenges of hunger, disease, illiteracy and unemployment.
”0ver 70% of our fellow citizens live in poverty in spite of the wealth of our State. Poverty has become more persistent today as State and local governments lack the moral authority to stem the growing tide of violence and insecurity that perpetuates poverty and a weak regulatory environment.
”They lack the intellectual ability to comprehend the impact of global norms and economic trends on the lives of our people and the economy of our State. For example, the World Trade Organization (WTO) in far away Switzerland determines the price and quality benchmarks for raw materials and finished products produced by our State and Country, without any factoring of the social, economic and environmental cost of production of our people
”Such globalization of norms, competition, laws, politics, etc define the development challenge and peril that lay ahead for Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria and Africa as a whole.”
The development economist observed ”It is therefore in the context of Nigeria’s development malaise vis-à-vis the new world order and the rising tide of globalization that Akwa Ibom State’s Economic Development initiative must emanate.
”Ours must be sensitive to both the international political perspective of Nigeria’s economic development challenges and the socio political realities of our environment: the Nigerian environment. Our solutions cannot be transposed; they must be home grown and sensitive to the needs and aspirations of our people but yet pragmatic enough to withstand national and international sociopolitical and economic trends.
I therefore believe that it is the responsibility of the State governments to develop an economic stimulus package to increase productivity across the land, and indeed usher in our century of industrialization. For without industrialization, our economy will continue to grow at marginal digits if at all, and rely on the mercy of the federal government, donor agencies and the international community.
Increased productivity can only be sustained by peace, security, social justice, quality education and health care for our people. In these areas, it is also the responsibility of the State government to provide direction.
The Engineer-turned politician said ”Our teachers, doctors and judges must be well trained and compensated; and residents of akwa ibom must be safe and free to express themselves. Our public servants and professionals must undergo continuous training to update their skills and knowledge in this fast paced technological world, where new tools of learning and miracle drugs are preparing nations for that battle of survival and supremacy in the 21st century.
”We must strive to achieve same, to prepare our children for a profitable participation in the emerging world of ICT that they will inherit. Today our concern must be with that future. For the world is changing. The old era is ending. The old ways will not do.
”I propose therefore a government that understands these challenges, and is equipped with the requisite intellect and acumen to meet them; a government that will reduce political tension, maintain the peace and transform Akwa Ibom State into an industrial breeding ground of sustainable growth.
”A government that will guide the affairs of our State through laws and projects aimed at strengthening our development effort; a government that understands that infrastructural development in a developing economy must be balanced with welfare programs that will help subsidize the infrastructural toll on the people and the opportunity cost of such infrastructure.
”The Government that I propose will provide leadership that will help us discover true unity in our diversity, and ensure a peaceful coexistence and an equitable distribution of our State’s wealth; so that together we may contain the growing pockets of ignorance and prejudice, and the unanswered questions of poverty,” Esin opined.
He pointed out ”A government that will ensure that our ethnicity will have no more significance than the content of our character and our individual commitment to the cause of building a strong and peaceful Akwa Ibom State. In the final analysis, the government that I propose will seek to improve the lives of our people. Give me your help, your hand, your voice, your vote.”
On the abandoned Science Park in the state, he said research has shown that the project is mundane, saying ”If he is elected, he will modernize it to bring in value for the money expended on it by the past administration.”
