Idara Jerome, Uyo
Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has used the commissioning of the 6.475-kilometre Amanyam Community Road Network in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area to make a case for continuity in governance, declaring that public projects must not be abandoned simply because they were initiated by political opponents.
Eno, who spoke during the commissioning on Thursday as part of activities marking Akwa Ibom’s 39th anniversary, said the state could only achieve meaningful development when successive administrations built on existing investments instead of starting afresh for political reasons.
He said the Amanyam road was an example of his administration’s decision to complete projects inherited from previous governments, stressing that the ultimate beneficiaries of government infrastructure were the people and not the politicians who initiated them.
“We will continue to finish projects that others started,” the governor said, arguing that no single administration could complete every project required by the people during its tenure.
According to him, governments should acknowledge those who initiated projects while taking responsibility for completing them. “I don’t take credit for these things. We make sure we mention that this project was started by this administration, and we have just used the finisher’s anointing to finish it,” he said.
The governor said the Amanyam project also demonstrated why development should be separated from political affiliation, recalling that he was told the road provided access towards the residence of Chief Sunny Ibout, a former political associate who later moved into the opposition.
Eno said the political status of anyone living along a road should have no bearing on whether government provides infrastructure to the community, insisting that the wider public interest must remain the priority.
“I don’t play that kind of politics. What is good is good, and what is not good is not good,” he said, urging public officials to “serve without coloration.”
The governor also announced plans to return to Ikot Ekpene for the commissioning of additional projects and the sod-turning for the proposed Ikot Ekpene International Market, which he said would boost commercial activity and unlock the economic potential of the town and the surrounding region.
He commended residents, particularly youths, for supporting the contractors during construction and thanked the Annang people for their continued support for his administration.
Earlier, Senator Emmanuel Ibok Essien, speaking on behalf of stakeholders, said the transformation in the area was significant, recalling that he once parked his vehicle about a kilometre away before walking to Community Secondary School, Amanyam, where he taught in 1987.
Ibok Essien said Eno’s repeated visits to Ikot Ekpene, the road projects and the planned international market had strengthened confidence in the administration, adding that the people would reciprocate through their support for the governor.
