… To Build 10 Cottage Industries Per Local Govt of the State
Governorship candidate of ACCORD in Akwa Ibom State, Engr (Dr) Emem Coffie, has lamented the state of decay in the oil rich state, saying after 36 years of creation, the capital city still looks like a “glorified village”.
Addressing a mammoth crowd of Oro Nation yesterday at Government Primary School, Oron, Coffie, who was accompanied to the rally by his wife, Mrs Mercy Emem, Deputy Governorship candidate, Evang (Dr) Love Archibong, State Chairman of the party; Rt Hon (Engr) Martins Inyang Ansa, Director General of the campaign team; Mr Aniekan Johnson, candidates of the party and a good number of stakeholders observed that, despite the huge and abundant resources in Akwa Ibom, government of the day is not using it judiciously to solve germane problems of the people. According to him, his main target as a governor would be to eradicate poverty and unemployment.
Coffie, a structural civil engineer and successful Business man stressed that he is vying for the state’s top job to lead Akwa Ibom State out of innate hunger and out of retrogression occasioned by bad governance.
Describing his ambition as a new dawn, the Nsit Ubium born philanthropist noted that he gets hurt seeing Akwa Ibom people, especially youths, battle with predicaments of lack of hope for the future, joblessness which is responsible for sycophancy amongst them.
“l feel disturbed and sometimes moved to tears anytime I see our able-bodied youth singing ‘you’re a leader… you’re a leader’ to get peanut from a politician at an event. By God’s grace, we will put a stop to this, because we have plans to engage all our youths meaningfully.
“I am coming with an excellent idea for industrialization. This is not the type others promised. I will ensure everyone has a stake in the cottage industries that we are going to build; 10 in each of the 31 local government areas of the state. This will be done through a Public private partnership (PPP) model.
“The investors will only come with their machines…30 percent of the dividends made in every cottage industry will be for them, government takes 20 while 50 percent goes to the host communities. In this model, one can be doing other legitimate businesses and at the end of the month he or she receives alert from the cottage industries that are working in their backyard. I want to establish a system that will ensure there’s no poor man in Akwa Ibom,” he stated.
On health, the Governorship candidate promised to provide free medical care for pregnant women from day 1 to when they deliver of their babies.
On his plans for traders and businessmen and women, he informed that traders will be given money to expand their businesses.
“In my government, we will tell banks to give loans to our traders, government too will provide financial support to all entrepreneurs because we want to take all of them out of poverty.
“Let me tell Oro people the truth that you’re not told about the Ibaka deep seaport. That project is not a contract of State government, it’s PPP project. I understand that the project has become a campaign tool for every politician who would come here and lie to the people of Oro.
“Now, why the project is not working is that the state government tried to move the location to another place. For it to work, that project must be returned to Ibaka. The second reason is that any leader who wants to do the project must understand the politics in establishing ports because there are people in this country who already have ports and you must consult them and play some politics with them. Once the project returns to Ibaka and we do small politics we will get the project. By God’s grace, with our contacts and connections, the project will become a reality.”
On Security, the ACCORD governorship candidate assured of his preparedness to totally terminate terror attacks on the marine corridors by the sea pirates.
“Oro people, you can’t suffer to get small money for your children and pirates take what you laboured for. I know it’s only insensitive leaders that would keep quiet, by God’s grace, my administration will put a permanent end to their activities in our waters.”
Coffie used the occasion to appeal to the people not to play politics with their lives during the forthcoming elections.
“It’s a pity that lots of people have mortgaged their birthrights to politicians with only 2,000 naira. I urge us all not to repeat this mistake of selling your votes during this forthcoming election,” he submitted.
Earlier in their speeches, the State Chairman of ACCORD, Rt. Hon. Martins Ansa, Deputy Governorship candidate, Evang. Love Archibong, Director General; Mr Aniekan Johnson among others, observed that ACCORD understands that the 5 Local Government areas of Oro, deserve and desire the amenities of quality life, good jobs, security and transparent government, devoid of corruption and insincerity.
They all called on the people of Oron, Okobo, Udung uko, Mbo and Urueofong Oruko in particular and Akwa Ibom State in general to ensure they keep their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) safe and use them to enthrone good governance with Engr (Dr) Emem Coffie as governor.
Highpoint of the rally in Oro nation on Tuesday was the adoption and endorsement of Coffie as their sole candidate for governorship and Colonel Sampson Edet, Retd who is the candidate of ACCORD for Oron Federal Constituency.
