Umo Eno: A Governor in Pursuit of Development with Anger

Umo Eno: A Governor in Pursuit of Development with Anger

Aniefiok Macauley

If as the then Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio, now Senator and President of the 10th Senate, said at the time that he was pursuing development with anger, it could therefore as well be correct and right to conclude that Governor Umo Eno, a pastor is not only pursuing the development of the Akwa Ibom State with anger but, he is hungry and in a hurry to do so .

Arising from the presentation of the 2026 budget estimates before the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, where he laid before the Assembly a budget outlay of N 1.39 trillion, it was clear that the governor means business.

Clad in a bespoke ash coloured suit with immaculate white shirt and ARISE emblazoned striped silk tie to match, his appearance exuded a man with a totem of corporate authority, smart, agile and businesslike.

For all intent and purposes, Governor Eno, at all times, cuts a man in a hurry to develop the State and gets his assignment completed within a record time.

In the past two years, the governor has shown in words and deeds that he came well prepared for the employment he sought from the Akwa Ibom people in 2023. He has shown clearly what he brought to the table through the five planks of his governance blueprint codenamed the ARISE Agenda and the 17 focal areas.

Different sectors from Agriculture to rural development, infrastructure to security and educational advancements, tourism to healthcare, promotion of SMEs to sports, housing, transport among other key sectors have all received full attention and given pride of place.

The governor is leaving no stone unturned in Agriculture and food sufficiency considering the level of work at the Shongai- structured Ibom Model Farm, in Nsit Ubium.

At the budget presentation recently, the governor disclosed that the Ministry of Agriculture has been distributing farm implements, fertilizers, tractors would and would redouble efforts in this critical sector next year.

He disclosed that, so far, 69,107 (sixty-nine thousand one hundred and seven) farmers have benefited from the agricultural revolution; while 13,060 registered farmers have benefited from Agricultural processing machines and equipment that have been purchased for them.

There is no gainsaying that Governor Eno’s administration is intentional in stemming rural- urban migration. This has been done by ensuring the spread of projects in all the 31 Local Government Areas. These include Model Primary Schools, model healthcare centres, 78 new feeder roads, 30 wet markets, water projects, electricity etc.

Besides, the government is currently constructing over 900 kilometres of road across the state with some already completed and commissioned.
Umo Eno has couch his name in the history books as the first governor in 38 years who sought the citizens input and encapsulated their needs in the budget preparation.

There is no doubt that the 2026 budget is christened the Peoples Budget of Expansion and Growth owing to the inclusion of one project each for the 31 Local Government Areas taken specifically from the NEEDS documents earlier submitted to the governor by the10 Federal Constituencies of the State during the Town Square Meetings.

In terms air transport system, the governor has positioned the Victor Attah Airport on the world Aviation map. Slowly and assuredly, he secured the federal Government’s approval of the airport as an International airport.

According to the Minister of Aviation and aerospace development, Hon. Festus Keyamo “the governor had specifically requested the Federal Government to designate the Victor Attah Airport as an International Airport.

‘ due to the massive upgrade of the terminal building at the airport , the nearly completed MRO, the international length of the runway and its strategic location with respect to Central and East Africa, we approved the request of the Governor and designated the airport as a full-fledged International Airport”.

Keyamo further hinted that in the next few months his Ministry will work with other relevant agencies of the federal government , Customs, Immigration, NDLEA, Quarantine, Police etc to put in place all necessary details for the International flights to begin operations at the VICTOR ATTAH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, UYO.

Speaking on the import of the approval, the elated governor Eno said

“For this region, trade will be enhanced. Tourism will be boosted. Jobs will be created. The international airport will be busy. Flights will land directly here. There will be a whole lot of economic activities for the good of our people and our State”.

According to Governor Eno, with the international status of the airport, “our airline, Ibom Air, stands favourably to expand its operations, and partners with other international airlines to choose here as part of their business routes in Nigeria.”

“This is all what we have been trying to do – creating that aviation ecosystem. I don’t believe in talking too much but in working behind the scene to come out with success,” he emphasized.

The Governor revealed that his present achievement in the State’s aviation sector is one of the reasons the State needed to move to align with the centre in order to enhance collaboration and engagement for positive developmental strides of this nature to be attracted to the State.

“You know how long we have been pursuing this status for our airport? adding, But, by the grace of God, all of this is coming together for our good,” he said.

According to Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information, Dr. Aniekan Umanah “This landmark development elevates Victor Attah International Airport into the elite class of Nigerian airports authorised for international traffic , thereby unlocking vast opportunities for global connectivity, tourism expansion, business growth, and increased foreign investment.”

He said with this approval, the airport can now receive and process international airlines, operate cross-border flights, and serve as a direct international gateway linking Akwa Ibom to destinations across Africa and the wider world. International operations are expected to commence fully in the first quarter of 2026.

In his words “Governor Umo Eno, through sustained engagement and strategic leadership, has once again delivered a major win for the state.

“This achievement further cements Akwa Ibom’s rising profile as a regional aviation hub and underscores his administration’s unwavering commitment to opening new doors of opportunity for citizens, investors, and visitors alike,” he noted.

In the housing sector, while work is ongoing at the Judiciary village, Ewet Luxury Estate, Aviation Village, Medical Village, the governor said his administration would commence work both in the Legislative and Commissioners’ quarters, having earlier commissioned 236 units at the Grace Estate and had handed over 150 units to Civil Servants at the lower rung of the ladder.

Regardless, another critical area that Umo Eno’s administration is giving its all is in tourism sector. Globally, tourism is considered a multi billion dollar sector and the governor through various initiative is priming the State for a life beyond oil.

At the moment, the government is building a 5,000 capacity Ibom International Convention Centre; a 14 floor 200-room Ibom Hotels; the Arise Shopping City and renovating the Ibom Hotels and Golf resorts, to bring it up to speed with modern features.

Apart from remodelling the popular Ibom Plaza with a -500-seating amphitheatre to regain its lost glory, the Arise Palm Resort- along Dominick Utuk’s Avenue which is on of the audacious tourism project of Eno’s administration is nearing completion.

Suffice it to say that in just two years, Umo Eno’s tangible and intangible achievements in all facets of the State economy could be felt as someone who is hungry, angry and in a hurry to see that the development of Akwa Ibom State is faster to become one among the most economically viable States beyond crude oil.

Macauley, a journalist and PR practitioner writes from Awa Nkop