THURSDAY May 1, 2025 |
By thenewsdesk.ng
Akwa Ibom Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has welcomed participants from the Air Force War College, Course II, to the State on a study tour.
Receiving the visiting team, led by the Commandant of the College, Air Vice Marshall Patrick Babatunde Philip, at the Government House, Uyo, on Wednesday, Governor Eno stressed the vital interplay between development and security, pointing out that his administration has made deliberate efforts to make Akwa Ibom a model of peace, progress, and inclusivity.
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Represented by the Deputy Governor, Senator (Dr) Akon Eyakenyi, the Governor commended the Air Force for its critical role in safeguarding Nigeria’s territorial integrity and hoped their stay in the State would be both enlightening and impactful.
“We are always pleased to share our development framework with the Nigerian Military, especially as it concerns citizens’ welfare and the safety of lives and property.
“We believe there is a relationship between development and security or poverty, unemployment and insecurity. So, the primary way of effectively tackling insecurity is the provision of good governance which delivers development, provides jobs and creates an atmosphere of peace, unity and justice”, he said.
To boost security in the State, the State Chief Executive said his administration established the Ministry of Internal Security and Waterways, with a retired General as its pioneer Commissioner.
“We have established a full fledged Ministry of Internal Security and Waterways and appointed a retired General as its pioneer Commissioner. This Ministry, through its foot soldiers called Ibom Community Watch, has served as a veritable source of intelligence gathering for security agencies in the State. So far, the synergy is bearing fruits as our State remains one of the most peaceful in the country”, he noted.
Governor Eno used the opportunity to showcase key achievements of his administration, especially those tailored towards grassroots impact.
“Our One Project Per Local Government Area policy has delivered Model Primary Schools and Healthcare Centres in all 31 Local Government Areas. No Local Government Area is left out. Even in road infrastructure and housing, we’ve reached every part of the State.”
He added that the Compassionate Homes initiative has been instrumental in supporting the homeless and most vulnerable citizens.
The Governor also emphasised the importance of youth empowerment in preventing insecurity, pointing to the Ibom Leadership and Entrepreneurial Development Centre (Ibom-LED) and the Dakkada Skills Acquisition Centre (DASAC) which have trained and empowered thousands of young people with both skills and start-up capital to launch small businesses and become self-reliant.
Earlier, the Team Lead, Air Vice Marshall Patrick Babatunde Philip, said the State Study Tour with theme “Environmental Degradation and Socio-Economic Development: Akwa Ibom and Cross River States in Perspective”, is designed to reinforce participants’ learning in leadership, management, and decision-making.
He said Akwa Ibom was selected for the Tour due to its commendable efforts in harmonising social, economic, and environmental imperatives for sustainable development, revealing the exercise will culminate in a detailed report, anchored on a SWOT analysis of Akwa Ibom State’s approach to environmental management and socio-economic development.
Established in 2016, the Air Force War College Nigeria (AFWCN) is the apex institution for professional military education in the Nigerian Air Force.
