The Governor Udom Emmanuel-led administration in Akwa Ibom State has called for collaboration between its agencies and the Federal Government on the execution of public projects in the state.
The Governor made the call on Tuesday when he played host to the Senate Committee on Lands, Housing and Urban Development, whose members paid a courtesy call on him at the HillTop Mansion, Uyo.
Represented at the event by his Deputy Governor, Mr. Moses Ekpo, the Governor noted that for the purpose of proper synergy and needs assessment, there was a need for the Federal Government and its agencies to always build confidence in the states and ensure proper consultations towards the success of projects.
According to him, such consultations and periodic reviews have become imperative in order to enable the two governments to align their resources towards a common goal.
He expressed surprise at the number of projects to be inspected during the visit and noted that such projects were neither known to the government nor were their needs and locations assessed and rationalized.
The Governor noted that, given the present inflationary trend occasioned by uncertainties of the global economy, there was a need to ensure that the government had value for resources committed to projects.
He, however, commended the Senate Committee for the visit, describing it as an opportunity to “eye-mark” what the Executive arm of government had earlier “earmarked.”
He used the opportunity to call on the Federal Government to carry Akwa Ibom State along in the distribution of its developmental projects in the country while assuring them of the state government’s preparedness to partner with them at all times.
Speaking earlier, the leader of the team and former Governor of Ebonyi State, Senator Sam Egwu, said they were in the state as part of their oversight function to inspect finished and ongoing Federal Government projects within its jurisdiction.
He commended the visible developmental projects that the Udom Emmanuel administration has executed in the state and described the state-owned Ibom Air services as the best in the nation’s aviation sector.
Other members of the team were: Senator Ashiru Oyelola, Senator Akon Eyakenyi, Senator Kabiru Gaya, Senator Danjuma La’ah, and Senator Cleopas Moses.
In the course of their oversight, the team will visit the sites of 40 projects located in different parts of the state, according to the leader.
