Ahead of the October 5 local government elections in Akwa Ibom, Governor Umo Eno said that Peoples Democratic Party would win the elections.
Governor Eno spoke this at a special interdenominational thanksgiving service, themed, Peace Within Thy Walls and Prosperity Within Thy Palaces to mark the 37th anniversary of Akwa Ibom State creation and Nigeria’s 64th independence anniversary, at the International Worship Centre, Uyo.
Though 12 political parties have been cleared, Peoples Democratic Party and All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state show muscle and nerve to grab more seats during the elections.
So far, PDP has fielded 31 chairmanship and 368 councillorship candidates for the election, while APC is said to have 29 chairmanship and 368 councillorship candidates.
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Reacting to a purported statement by the Minister of States for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Obongemem Ekperikpe Ekpo, Eno said it was not yet time to play politics.
The Governor described as a model state in Nigeria, reaffirmed commitment to institutionalizing peace and unifying the various interests and potentials to ensure optimum advantage for the citizenry.
Expressing delight in seeing Akwa Ibom leaders of various dispensations sit together to celebrate the State and worship the one God that has been the keeper of all, Eno thanked God for the peace in the State and paid tributes to the former Military President of Nigeria, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd.), heeding the bidding of Akwa Ibom’s founding fathers to create the state 37 years ago, urging the present generation to prioritise their identity as a prople of a common ancestry above emerging divisive interests.
The Governor asserted that unity remains the way to go for Akwa Ibom, reiterating his determination to continuously pursue the peace and unity of the state, to the advantage of the people of the State, therefore assuring to continue working across party lines and to collaborate with the government at the centre and with past governors and leaders of the State to enhances the potential of his administration in getting the needed development to the people.
“For me, I came in peace, I came as a servant of the people and my greatest prayers is that God who brought me at this time as a Pastor, not just a Pastor who is so called, but as a pastor who knows that I am the called of the Lord will do and continue to do the work that he has sent me to do.
“The truth is we share the same heritage, we share common humanity, we share common sense of service to the people, and we share a common heart. We have to stand by each other. That is the joy and the real spirit of the Akwa Ibomites. That is the work that our founding fathers did 37 years ago.
“I would like to thank God for the privilege he has given us and the heart he has given all our leaders, and seated here today is Akwa Ibom of Nigeria. The true joy that we have today is that we can have all our leaders come together under one roof to worship one God who has created Akwa Ibom State. We are here as Akwa Ibomites first, and we are bound by the love of our people to thank God that this state belongs to all of us. That’s my joy today and I believe that God who has begun this work will complete it.”
The Senate President, Obong Godswill Akpabio, represented by his wife, Udoma, conveyed the felicitations of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly to the government and people of Akwa Ibom State on the 37th anniversary, praying for continuous peace, unity and prosperity of the state.
He lauded the love and brotherhood that exist among the traditional rulers in the state, irrespective of ethnicity or sub-groups, the state House of Assembly for the legislation that to amend the Akwa Ibom State Traditional Rulers Law.
The Senate President said the state has brought tremendous unity and sense of belongingness to generations of Akwa Ibom children, and most especially Governor Umo Eno for charting a path of peace for the state, thanking the past leaders of the State for their contributions to the Akwa Ibom of today.
The former Governor of the state, Arc Victor Attah, also speaking, expressed delight in how fast and far the Akwa Ibom State has grown from creation, and commended Governor Eno for his deliberate efforts at uniting the State, as he felicitated with the people on the 37th anniversary of State creation.
The Minister of States for Petroleum Resources, Gas, Obong Emem Ekperikpe Ekpo, expressed his sincere gratitude for the peace and unity that have been instituted in Akwa Ibom State, describing Governor Umo Eno as the best thing that has happened to the State in such a time as this, when the state needs a lot of consolidation, and expressing hope that all past governors of the state would someday sit at dinner to discuss the Akwa Ibom project.
Ekpo used the occasion to call on the Governor to organize a dinner party for reconciliation between Senator Akpabio and Udom Emmanuel, immediate past Governor in the state.
The Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Bishop Christian Nyong in his address at the event congratulated Governor Eno for as the chief celebrant of the State’s 37th anniversary and the Akwa Ibom people for God’s favour on the state so far, in terms of good leadership, peace and the several, and multidimensional developments.
In a sermon culled from the key Bible reading for the service, Psalm 122:1-9, Rev. Godwin Amaowoh of the Assemblies of God Church, described peace as a pre-requisite for prosperity and development, admonishing the Akwa Ibom people to be grateful for the peace and the indices of good governance in the state which, he said, has made the land attractive to many.
Rev Amaowoh charged the people to eschew selfish ambitions, arrogant utterances and all forms of ungodly dispositions and rather seek to promote the peace of the state, to attract more prosperity and abundant blessings to the State.
Highpoint of the event was the reception and celebration of the Akwa Ibom children who returned from the maiden edition of the State Government education trip from Akwa Ibom public schools students in the rural areas, ARISE Edutrip, from the United Kingdom.
