Diaspora Experts Join Efforts To Develop Akwa Ibom Economy

Indigenes of Akwa Ibom authorities successful the diaspora person extended hands of fellowship to enactment with the location authorities authorities successful the task of holistic improvement of the authorities and the radical nether the politician Umo Eno-led administration’s ARISE Agenda blueprint.

Speaking nether the aegis of Association of Akwa Ibom Communities’ Presidents Worldwide (ASACOP), during a Biennial Conference held successful Uyo, the authorities superior astatine the weekend, the organisers explained that the lawsuit became indispensable successful bid to bring unneurotic assemblage leaders and subdivision Presidents of ASACOP from implicit 21 countries of the satellite for aggregation of improvement ideas and unity of intent for development.

Speaking connected the theme: “Akwa Ibom State Across the World: Promoting Diaspora Values,” the International President of the Association, Obong Itoro Akpan-Iquot, emphasised the value of unity, cooperation, and self-reliance among Akwa Ibom radical astatine location and abroad.

He urged indigenes to clasp communal trust, corporate efforts, and a committedness to advancing the fortunes of the State done antithetic fields of education, business, manufacture and Job creation.

Underscoring the value of acquisition successful the maturation advancement of the state, the radical donated acquisition grants to 63 indigent beneficiaries crossed the 31 section authorities areas.

He said: “Together we tin execute adjacent much for our people, alternatively than arsenic abstracted entities. We firmly judge that we are the lone ones, arsenic Akwa Ibom people, to physique and make our state. “We person a deeper and wider excavation of individuals and professionals to gully from. We are unapologetically Akwa Ibom. We privation Akwa Ibom to beryllium the champion State successful Nigeria and the world. To this effect, we promote the constitution of our ain businesses, past supporting our ain businesses financially and the hiring of our people,” Engr. Iquot stated.

To further show the values being promoted by ASACOP, Engr. Iquot disclosed that 1 of their members, Engr. Uwem Iquan, had finalised arrangements to committee a array h2o institution successful Nkim Itam, successful Itu LGA.

The venture, which comes with an archetypal concern superior of N300 million, helium explained, would make employment opportunities for hundreds of Akwa Ibom indigenes and lend importantly to the section economy.

He, therefore, made a lawsuit for the inclusion of the diaspora members successful the State governance and improvement processes and urged the Speaker of the State House of Assembly to “initiate and sponsor authorities that volition institutionalise diaspora participation.”

According to him, the projected authorities should beryllium titled: “A Bill TO Established Akwa Ibom Indigenes In Diaspora And Internal Migrants Commission,” explaining that erstwhile passed into law, would service arsenic a model to “coordinate and supply an organised strategy of collaboration and engagement of Akwa Ibom indigenes extracurricular the State successful the policies, projects and information successful the improvement of Akwa Ibom State.”

Delivering the keynote address, Obong Ide Owodiong Idemeko, Chairman of the Akwa Ibom State Investment Corporation (AKICORP), highlighted the economical and developmental benefits that could accrue to the State from strategical collaborations betwixt the authorities and affluent oregon influential Akwa Ibom indigenes successful the diaspora.

He stressed that “the diaspora assemblage is simply a captious assets for the State successful areas specified arsenic industrialisation, overseas remittances, quality superior development, expertise, planetary networking, and gathering sustainable linkages betwixt Akwa Ibom and different parts of the world.”

The president of State Traditional Rulers Council (TRC)and paramount ruler of Udung Uko LGA, Edidem Bassey Etim Edet, praised the Association for its imaginativeness and for being bully ambassadors of Akwa Ibom successful their respective countries. He besides called for unity, stressing that a agreed Akwa Ibom would beryllium amended positioned to harness its abundant quality and worldly resources for the equitable maturation and improvement of the state.