Since May 29, 2015 that Governor Udom Gabriel Emmanuel assumed office, he has been  leading the state with great sense of purpose.

Udom emerged as a fulfilment of God’s promise at the appointed time when Akwa Ibom people yearned with great expectations for a leader that will return the State to its once peaceful, united and progressive path.

Udom had set out his career plans immediately when he graduated from the University of Lagos. Emmanuel studied Accounting and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree (B.Sc Accounting) with a second class upper grade, and this provided the launch-pad to his career.

Armed with a  rich curriculum vitae adorned with a job experience from a multinational company, Emmanuel did not have to saunter all over the streets of Lagos in search of employment. Rather, he was made offers by several organizations. Eventually, he settled to work with Diamond Bank Limited. He later joined Zenith Bank Plc in 1996, six years after the bank was established.

At Zenith Bank, he imbibed the vision of the organisation, striving to ensure it achieved its mission of leading the Nigerian and global markets with a technology-driven range of financial services. Emmanuel grew rapidly with the nascent bank, emerging its pioneer Manager of Lagos Central Branch. Since then, his over 17 years of financial services experience were mostly spent in an organisation he loved and thrived in.

As at 2015, the economy of Akwa Ibom State was at the crossroads when Governor Udom Emmanuel took over the helms of affairs from Godswill Akpabio.

On the day he was sworn in, the price of crude oil, Nigeria’s biggest revenue earnings, had dropped to $27 per barrel, with production capacity standing at less than 800,000 barrels per day.

Udom Emmanuel presented his five-point agenda and the industrialisation of the State which the governor promised looked more idealistic than practicable.

While hope got dimmer, Governor Udom Emmanuel sprang surprises. He showed expertise and dexterity in financing priority projects of the government. To ensure that the government did not shut-down due to suffocating bills –  inherited debts and the rising wage bills due to the recruitment of about 5000 people into the civil service by the Akpabio administration on the eve of its exit – Udom Emmanuel did three things.

One, he worked and got the N64.5billion debt restructured and converted into Central Bank of Nigeria bonds. Under the bond, the debt servicing obligation changed from N3.5billion per month to N850million per month, spread over a period of 20 years. Two, the administration introduced a project financing policy called Alternative Project Funding Approach (APFA). Though this worked on two prongs, the popular prong was that the State would guarantee loans for its contractor to execute a project, thus allowing the State to pay for the project in tranches.

Governor Udom Emmanuel came with a five-point development agenda for Akwa Ibom State. The agenda comprised job creation, poverty alleviation, wealth creation, economic and political inclusion, and infrastructural consolidation and expansion. The key driver to this agenda was industrialization.

From the first day the administration started off, the governor worked hard and revamped moribund industries, built new ones and attracted foreign investors who built a number of industries which the state could not have had the financial requirements to undertake. Before the end of his first term, 15 industries were manufacturing different products including paints, syringes, toothpicks, pencils, fertilizer, plastic wares and others.

Once again, Akwa Ibom people made the right choice by re-electing Governor Udom Gabriel Emmanuel in 2019 because as soon as he was sworn in, the world was faced with another apocalyptic challenge – the coronavirus and the State relied on his quick wits to pull through. The governor seems to have anticipated the double disaster of a slump in oil price and a dire health challenge when he worked tirelessly to diversify the state economy and focused on growing a non-oil sector while also putting a lot of investment in improving the state health sector.

There is no gainsaying the fact that before the current global crisis, Akwa Ibom state was on its way to becoming an international business hot spot in the West African subregion. The state recorded a whooping N24.8 billion, an all-time high in IGR in 2019 and was bound to break that record this year. It made pioneering efforts on several fronts with enviable business models and world-class concepts which would help the state feed its people, employ its teeming population and build a robust economy.

In transforming the state healthcare system, the governor focused on providing optimum service delivery. He put in remarkable effort towards refurbishing secondary health care facilities across the state, fitting them with state-of-the-art equipment and salvaged Ibom Specialty Hospital from rot. He also embarked on training of health workers and recruiting more to replace those retiring.

It would not be out of place to state that Governor Udom Emmanuel prepared the state to weather the difficulties of present-day Nigeria. Accordingly, Governor Emmanuel’s response to the global pandemic is not informed by fear nor panic, but with carefully weighed steps he is taking Akwa Ibom state through the most difficult period in her history, keeping her safe and thriving.

More so, as a state chief executive officer, he sees the big picture and knows that if we are to survive, we must not allow emotions becloud our reasoning rather we must take steps to remain on top of the situation as much as possible. In keeping to this policy, the governor has built a 300-bed capacity isolation centre/Emergency Operating Center at General hospital, Ituk Mbang fully equipped with state-of-the-art facilities to fight the virus and any other communicable pathogen. This is in addition to similar centres at the state-owned Multi-specialty hospital- Itam, Infectious disease hospital – Ikot Ekpene and State Secretariat Annex – Uyo.

Thus while many states were shutting down, Akwa Ibom state was able to bring in the new Aircraft even in the midst of the gloomy economic situation. The 90-seater Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft brought the number of aeroplanes in Ibomair fleet to four. In addition, the governor constructed a taxiway at the Victor Attah International Airport, engaged in full upgrading of Airfield Lighting System at the airport as well as constructed commercial terminal building at the airport.

It is worthy to say that Governor Udom Emmanuel has done relatively well and is prepared to hand over to his preferred candidate whom he revealed as Pastor Umo Eno.

Umo Eno, the current Commissioner for Lands and Water Resources in the state was selected on Sunday by governor Emmanuel to succeed him in 2023.

Who is Umo Eno?

Pastor Eno is an astute technocrat who has ideas to expend in the building of Akwa Ibom, and secondly, he’s a humble and unassuming person who won’t let the spoils of office change him; he doesn’t seem to have scores to settle with anyone and would discharge whatever role is assigned him, with greater emphasis on inclusion.

Umo Eno is an entrepreneur, administrator and a minister of the Gospel. An accomplished hospitality professional and fellow of the Nigerian Catering and Hotel Institute (FNCHI), with MSc in Political Science from the University of Uyo and Currently working on his PhD in Public Administration in the same University. He is an alumnus of Pan African University’s Lagos Business School (LBS), and has over 35 years working experience in the private sector, spanning banking, marketing, management and hospitality.

In 1997, he established Royalty Hotels and Recreation Limited in Eket, Akwa Ibom State to provided specialized hospitality service with a global mindset. This fully indigenous organization has since grown into a Group with diversified interest in beverages, industrial catering, apartments and coffee shop. Umo Eno, fondly called Governor of the Royalty Group, has keen interest in human capital development of youth; creating direct employment for more than 500 people across the country.

He pastors All Nations Christian Ministry Int’l in Eket, a nondenominational Church where he oversees the Bridge of Hope, an arm of the Ministry that offers weekly free medical services to more than 200 hypertensive and diabetic persons in the host community in Eket.

Passionate about raising young entrepreneurs, he set up The Gathering – a nonprofit making initiative in 2017 that convenes IGNITE; a global platform for knowledge-based empowerment, training and entrepreneurial skills development of youths for entrepreneurship and self -sufficiency. He speaks regularly to youths and adult groups on entrepreneurship, leadership and ethics and is currently the chairman, BOT, Akwa Ibom Business Community.

He has held many appointments including the Chairmanship of Akwa Ibom Hotels and Tourism Board from 2004 – 2007. He is a two (2) Star Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary Club of Eket, District 9140 and has received several awards for his public spirited life, including the National Productivity Award, Icon of Hope Award by The Apostolic Church, Nigeria; Special Recognition Award by Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Akwa Ibom State.

In October 1, 2019 he resigned as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Royalty Group with six (6) subsidiaries, having put in place a seamless succession plan, to accept an appointment with Akwa Ibom State Government under the leadership of His Excellency, Mr. Udom Emmanuel as Executive Director, Agricultural Investment, AKICORP.

Umo is a good social mixer who believes in hard work, integrity and strong character. He is the author of Wealth Creation – God’s Way, Break Forth, Exercising Your Dominion Mandate, Dream Again, The Legacy of a Father and true Friendship. He is the Publisher of Hospitality Connect and Appetizer Magazines and a regular contributor to industry and inspirational journals.

Why Umo Eno?

• He has the enormous capacity to lead the state and continue the developmental strides that have existed over the years.
• Umo Eno is an epitome of humility, and is blessed with the common touch, a compelling story and he is God- fearing.
• He  is a successful entrepreneur who has employed so many Akwa-Ibomites, lifted thousands from poverty to prosperity.
• He will be coming to the office of Governor with an economic blueprint that will further guarantee employment, development, and economic prosperity for our people.
• He is not a violent person but a man of peace who will  ensure that the peace and security of life enjoyed in the state over the years will be maintained