Udom Emmanuel, the outgoing governor of Akwa Ibom State, took time out of his hectic schedule yesterday evening to honor journalists at the Government House in Uyo, the state capital. He noted that any political position is temporary and sarcastically declared that his next career would be journalism because it has no set retirement age.
As he said goodbye to the state, Emmanuel dismissed any criticism of the opposition’s performance and emphasized that he had no animosity toward anyone because, in his words, “I had never used my position as governor in this past eight years to abuse, taunt, or witch hunt any of my perceived opposition.”
Though he bemoaned what he described as sabotage of his deliberate efforts to reposition the state for the betterment of the people, Emmanuel noted the vandalism in some key sectors like health, electricity and education, but thumped his chest and declared that “despite such drawbacks, we have left the state better than we met it.”
“We are ending these eight years on a good note, and I am urging you to transfer your support to my successor because this is the only state we have,” he enthused.
While urging the people to be in the vanguard of sustaining the legacies of his administration in various sectors including agriculture, education, healthcare, human capital development and job creation he appealed that “as I am exiting, whatever talent God has given to you, use it to make Akwa Ibom a better place.”
The outgoing governor recalled that he came to the state through the instrumentality of God, and submitted that “by His grace, I have made the state a better place.”