By Borono Bassey
Sometime in September this year, I had visited the Jubilee Syringe Manufacturing Company in Onna, Akwa Ibom State for the purpose of seeing how I could strike a business deal for the Consulting Firm I work with. In the course of the visit, I got to learn that the Syringe Factory is set to expand its production capacity from the current volume of 350 to 400 million syringes annually to an impressive annual production volume of 1 billion syringes, by the first quarter of 2019.
The Managing Director of the Jubilee Syringe Manufacturing Company Mr Zubeyu Gulabi, while reechoing this, said the expansion, which has already been preceded by strategic actions, is to help the company launch into markets outside Nigeria, especially into countries within the Subsaharan African region.
Now, here is the thing; a company does not propose this kind of ambitious growth and expansion plan without taking the security situation in the environment they operate into serious consideration. The reason is simple, a little hostility in an operating environment can stand in the way of a company’s profits, prevent them from making plans for expansion and in extreme situations, force them to move their business elsewhere.
If the Management of the Jubilee Syringe Manufacturing Company succeeds with the planned expansion of their production capacity, it will birth more opportunities for the people in terms of new jobs and the will trigger the emergence or development of other economic enterprises. For instance, the influx of people into Onna, the environment where the factory is located, will promote real estate business and trigger patronage for goods and services in that locality. New firms will get distributorship deals in that planned expansion. The benefits will be far-reaching for Akwa Ibom people and Nigerians.
Other factories attracted to Akwa Ibom State by the Emmanuel adminstration in the last three years may also be considering or have already attempted different levels of expansion. For instance, the AKEES Factory which was known for just two products, Pencils and toothpicks, have morphed into a fullfledged industrial park that now houses additional factories like the fully automated plastic factory and an hydro form blocks moulding factory as well as an artisan training centre.
The backstory on the major factor that has allowed for the contemplation of, and will possibly drive the realisation of the ambitious growth plans in these companies is the atmosphere of peace that Akwa Ibom has enjoyed under Governor Emmanuel’s watch as Governor of the State.
But, what strategic moves did Emmanuel make in the pursuits for the peace currently enjoyed in Akwa Ibom State?
As part of his remarks shortly after taking the oath of office as Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Udom Emmanuel had declared that his administration will maintain zero tolerance against all forms of criminality in the state. By way of walking the talk, Governor Emmanuel with folded sleeves, immediately begun the process of restoring peace to Etim Ekpo, and Ukanafun Local Government Areas as well as other parts of the state which he came to meet in crisis.
Prior to Governor Emmanuel strategic intervention, Ukanafun and Etim Ekpo Local Government Areas of Akwa Ibom State had been two most terrorised areas in the state for more than a period of two years. Militants, cultists and kidnappers had unleashed unimaginable terror in almost all the villages making up the two Local Governments. Those residing in these villages and communities were forced to flee to neigbouring towns and Local Governments as sleep was becoming an expensive luxury to afford for the inhabitants.
Local administration in these areas was almost grounded and schools were abruptly shut down even as the hoodlums stole food crops, livestock and other items from their owners at will. Sadly, some people were reportedly killed, several abducted, properties including vehicles and houses were burnt in that reign of terror.
But, in keeping with his resolve to restore peace to these areas at all costs, Governor Udom Emmanuel extended an olive branch to the militants and cultists. As at the last count, the hoodlums numbering more than 420 had embraced the amnesty deal and surrendered their cache of ammunition to the then State Commissioner of Police, Adeyemi Ogunjemilusi, who coordinated the amnesty committee with all the heads of various security operatives as members. Ogunjemilusi has since been posted and promoted as AIG Zone 6 Calabar, Cross River State.
Driven by the motive to uproot a major tree through which many forms of criminality tend to manifest, Governor Emmanuel had also gone ahead to proscribe no fewer than 32 cult groups in the state.
Today, economic and social activites are picking up again in Ukanafun and Etim Ekpo Local Government area, even as plans had already been put in motion to rehabilitate the repentant militant by giving them a legal and sustainable source of livelihood. As you read this, the moving train of infrastructure expansion and consolidation of the Governor Emmanuel-led administration had already made a stopover at Ukanafun. This stopover has led to the flag off of a 15.0km Ikot Akpan Afaha-Ikot Oku Usung road project with spurs in various parts.
Impressively, these audacious moves by the Governor Emmanuel-led administration to enthrone an atmosphere of peace in Akwa Ibom has attracted a lot of positive ratings of the state by various non-government and government agencies and organisations.
An organisation, the Foundation for Peace Professionals (FPP) had in their 37-page maiden report presented to newsmen in Abuja earlier this year, rated Akwa Ibom as the most peaceful state in South South. The executive director of the Foundation, Ambassador Abdulrazaq Hamzat during the presentation said the data used for the analysis and ratings were obtained from the Police, National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and other local and international governmental and non-governmental organisations.
According to him “Akwa Ibom is most peaceful state in South-South, Kaduna in North West, Kogi in North Central, Osun in South West, Imo in South East and Taraba State in North East, Kogi State is second most peaceful state in Nigeria and most peaceful in the North. Imo state is the most peaceful state in South East and 5th most peaceful in Nigeria. “ Hamzat said
In another testimonial, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division of the Nigerian Army with headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Maj Gen Jamil Sarham, had adjudged Akwa Ibom as the state with the lowest crime rate amongst the 36 states of federation.
But, Emmanuel’s efforts in sustaining an atmosphere of peace in Akwa Ibom state is not just limited to the fight against criminality. In actions and utterances, Governor Udom Emmanuel has not left anyone in doubt as to his burning desire to bequeath a peaceful state to Akwa Ibom people.
In a legendary manner, Emmanuel has maintained an applaudable level of maturity and calmness in the face of provocation from the opposition who swear to deploy all forms of Federal Might in disturbing the peace of the state and consequently eroding the high level of investors’ confidence in Akwa Ibom state. These provocations cast in the form of outright intimidation from agencies of the APC-led Federal Government, scathing insults on the person and office of the Governor, open threats and even the use of security agencies to intimidate state government officials and loyalists of the Governor have not caused Governor Emmanuel to abandon his commitment to sustaining peace in the state.
But, one thing is clear. The 2019 governorship election will be a referendum on whether Akwa Ibomites will prefer returning to the dark days where citizens lived in fear of politically-motivated killings and abduction and other vices or if the enjoy the journey of peace and prosperity they have already begun under Governor’s watch. That election will be a choice between Emmanuel whose visionary and pragmatic leadership has lifted several Akwa Ibom sons and daughters from poverty by way of job and wealth creation through the over seven industries he has attracted to the state, and a man who was part of an administration that promised 31 industries and never built, revamped or attracted a single to the state for 8 solid years.
It is imperative to note that events and credible opinion polls are constantly revealing one truth; that Akwa Ibom people will prefer to keep traveling the road of peace and prosperity with Governor Emmanuel till 2023.
The future of Akwa Ibom sure looks brighter.
Culled from Nation Newspaper, Page 30 December 7, 2018
