Tuesday August 5, 2025
The NewsDESK |
By Assam ABIA
A prominent stakeholder of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Eket and APC House of Representatives aspirant in the 2023 general elections, Hon. Kingsley Edoho, has lauded Governor Pastor Umo Eno for attracting Federal Government presence to Eket through the donation of the Eket Airstrip and a parcel of land to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) for the establishment of a Forward Operation Base (FOB) in the state.
Governor Eno presented the land documents on Wednesday, July 31st, 2025, during a courtesy visit by the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Bala Abubakar, to Government House, Uyo.
In an interview granted newsmen on the sideline of Governor Umo Eno’s visit to Eket on Saturday July 2nd, 2025, Hon Edoho praised the governor’s people-oriented leadership under the ARISE Agenda, highlighting the economic and security gains of hosting an Air Force base in Akwa Ibom State.
“The Eket Airstrip has been lying fallow for over eight years without being utilized by ExxonMobil. By handing over the facility to the Nigerian Air Force, the Governor has strategically strengthened the state’s security framework and positioned it to better confront kidnappers and other criminal elements operating from the creeks,” he noted.
He further urged the Federal Government to consider establishing an Aviation and Aeronautical University in Eket, to complement the new military presence and drive educational and technological growth in the region.
Speaking on the abandoned Qua River Hotel, which the Governor had assured during his Town Hall meeting in Eket would be reconstructed once legal constraints are resolved, Hon. Edoho advised that alternative conflict resolution mechanisms be adopted to fast-track the revamp of the facility into a five-star hotel.
“The Qua River Hotel is located in a naturally scenic area that has immense tourism potential. If the beachfront is fully developed, it could easily become one of the top tourist destinations in the country,” he observed.
Addressing the political landscape, Hon. Edoho emphasized the transformation of Akwa Ibom into an emerging APC stronghold and urged the Governor to prioritize the welfare of pioneer APC members, especially aspirants who contested under the party in the 2023 general elections.
“Just as the Governor rightly said, it is not easy to survive in an opposition party. But we stood firm and held the APC together—building a structure that he now finds strong enough to use as a platform for his 2027 reelection bid.
“Therefore, I call on the Governor to devise a mechanism to recognize and compensate the aboriginal APC members who laboured to keep the party intact prior to his emergence as our leader,” he concluded.
