Mr. Udom Emmanuel, Governor, Akwa Ibom state.
By Abasifreke Effiong
A human rights lawyer, Barr. Inibehe Effiong, has said that Akwa Ibom people have not felt the impact of the industrialisation programme of Governor Udom Emmanuel.
The state government in a publication by its Ministry of Information and Strategy says it has built and attracted at least 18 industries to the State in last five years. Some of the industries include, Jubilee syringe company, King’s flour, plywood company, toothpick, tissue and plastic manufacturing company among others.
Barr. Effiong while speaking to journalists in Uyo on ‘matters arising from the gruesome killing of Iniubong Umoren and priorities of Akwa Ibom state government’ said the state government was complicit in the murder of the young job seeker who was raped and killed last week.
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While responding to a question at the press conference, he said, “the Governor (Mr. Udom Emmanuel) claims to be building industries but we are not seeing the effect of the industries. Akwa Ibom people from Itu cannot farm because their farmland has been taken from them; the government had said it will build a car Assembly plant there, but there is no plant as we speak. Where is the 2000 Mexican cows? This government should be bothered about the credibility of its industrialisation.”
Barr. Effiong alleged that the Akwa Ibom state government orchestrated the high unemployment rate in the state to keep young people as political slaves, hence, it contributing the death of Miss Iniubong Umoren.
He said despite receiving a total of N1.58 trillion between 2015 – 2020, Akwa Ibom state under Governor Udom Emmanuel, ranked second highest in unemployment rating, 45.2 and 51.0 % in the second and fourth quarters of 2020 respectively.
The human rights lawyer said the State government “contributed to (Iniubong Umoren’s) untimely death” because it failed to prioritize projects that would create jobs.
“Instead of creating jobs for teeming youths, the governor has been playing religious politics in the State by blasphemously deploying God’s name for his partisan and selfish interest. Every month, the governor organizes a sham called “Akwa Ibom Youth Prayer Submit” through the office of the SSA on Youth Matters. According to the 2019 audited Report of the State Accountant General, the sum of N22,500,000 was spent in 2019 alone for this political gimmick and fake spiritual adventure. The more they “pray”, the worse things become in Akwa Ibom.”
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While calling for proper investigation of the death of Miss Iniubong Umoren, Barr. Effiong urged the government to name a public building in the state after the deceased and set up a sexual violence response task force to handle cases of domestic and sexual violence against women in the state.
“A Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Taskforce should be created immediately with a specific mandate to handle cases of domestic and sexual violence against women in the State. This should be complimented by a Law, dedicated phone lines for victims to call and report abuses, and a Special Court to try cases related thereto.”
Barr. Effiong also called on the state government to come up with policies and measures to address and significantly reduce the alarming high unemployment rate in Akwa Ibom State.
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