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HomeNewsEKONG SAMPSON, INIOBONG ESSIEN EXCHANGE BATON PLEDGES COMMITMENT TO UDOM’S COMPLETION AGENDA

EKONG SAMPSON, INIOBONG ESSIEN EXCHANGE BATON PLEDGES COMMITMENT TO UDOM’S COMPLETION AGENDA

 

 

By Edifon ABASI-OBOT

 

Former Economic Development and Environment Commissioners, Barrister Ekong Sampson and Dr. Iniobong Essien have met to exchange baton as Sampson takes over the Environment Ministry, now incorporating Petroleum Resources, releasing Essien to resume as Science and Tech boss.

 

Interacting with newsmen at new office, Ministry of Environment and Petroleum Resources, the Commissioner, Barrister Ekong Sampson, commended his predecessor, Dr. Iniobong Essien, for doing a great job while in the Ministry.

 

He described Dr. Essien as a respected intellectual, who brought a lot of passion to service delivery, adding that he looks forward to building on the great foundation that he laid in the Ministry.

 

Barrister Sampson described the Akwa Ibom State EXCO as a great partnership, in which members work as one family from their various places of assignment. He said with the outgoing commissioner being a staunch believer in Governor Udom’s completion agenda, who, according to him (Sampson) worked very hard for the Governor’s re-election in Ibiono Ibom, they will together deliver.

 

The Environment and Petroleum Resources boss stated that environmental issues are issues of common concern and promised to use his new office to galvanize Akwa Ibom people to own up and preserve environment.

Ekong Sampson noted that Climate Change has become a global concern and that there is need for Akwa Ibom people to be part of the consciousness. He therefore promised that his new ministry will explore necessary legislative and policy framework to address environmental issues and further efforts already recorded in the areas of erosion and flood control.

 

The outgoing Commissioner for Environment, now Commissioner for Science and Technology, Dr. Iniobong Essien, expressed great pleasure interacting with Barrister Sampson, who he described as a much respected stakeholder in the Akwa Ibom project.

 

Dr. Essien said with so much experience and great track record, as a two-term Member of the Akwa Ibom State Legislature, long standing member the State Executive Council, he was confident to over the Ministry of Environment to Barr. Ekong Sampson, expressing trust that the incoming will build on the good foundation that has been laid.

 

Iniobong Essien lauded Governor Udom Emmanuel’s passion towards Akwa Ibom people, demonstrated in his interventions in areas of flood and erosion control. He said His Excellency, the Governor, has not rested about areas of serious ecological challenges. Ranging from remedial measures to putting permanent structures to salvage the situations in a number of those places.

 

For the IBB Way puzzle, Dr. Essien revealed that designs have been put in place and approved by World Bank but that funds made available so far is inadequate. He however expressed confidence in the capabilities of his successor do the needful to garner enough funds for the project.

 

Affirming his commitment to the common goal of delivering on the Completion Agenda, Dr. Essien said, “Anytime I’m being called upon to lend a hand towards the success of the administration of His Excellency Governor Udom Emmanuel in the area of environment, I will certainly be available. His success is our success we are in this together. Irrespective of the ministry we may be per time, we have always worked together and will continue to work to achieve success”.

 

On his new role in the Ministry of Science and Tech, Essien said he was not foreseeing any challenges, expressing optimism that the former commissioner of Science and Tech must have laid a good foundation which he is going to build upon. He added that the greatest joy any commissioner would have to supersede his predecessor’s record.

 

The new Science and Tech boss noted that the world is in a technologically driven era. He said he was determined to use his new office to generate activities to make Akwa Ibom State technologically sound and key into what the rest of the world is doing.

 

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