Kinsmen laud Udoma’s appointment as minister

Pledge support for Governor Emmanuel
AS President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated his cabinet yesterday, a socio-political group, Ikot Abasi Consultative Forum in Akwa Ibom State, has commended him for appointing one of their sons, Udoma Udo Udoma, as minister of Budget and National Planning.

In a statement issued after its meeting and signed by the chairman, Archibong Umoh, and Secretary, Aniefiok Smith, the group described the appointment of Udoma as a boost not only to the country, but the people of Akwa Ibom and Ikot Abasi in particular.

Rising from an emergency meeting to appraise the state of affairs of the nation particularly as they affect the Ikot Abasi Local Government, the group also renewed its support for their state Governor, Mr. Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, urging him to carry on with his well-focused programmes and not be distracted by the verdict of the election tribunal which recently called for a re-run of the governorship election in 18 of the 31 local government areas of the state.

The group whose membership is drawn from the four clans that make up the local government; namely Edemaya, Ikpa Nnung Assang, Ikpa Ibekwe, Ukpum Ette and Ukpum Okon, said in a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting that Udoma’s appointment coming at the time the President was looking for credible Nigerians to form his cabinet, was a major recognition for the Ikot Abasi people who share in the President’s quest to charge a new course for the nation.

The forum pledged total support for the anti-corruption stance of the PMB administration and called on all well-meaning Nigerians to equally support the federal government in its avouched bid to bring about genuine change for the nation.

The kinsmen however urged Udoma to use his exalted position as a member of the federal cabinet to bring to the President’s attention the suffering of the Ikot Abasi people which has been exacerbated by the endless closure of the multi-billion dollar Aluminum Smelter Company of Nigeria (ALSCON), the only federal presence in the community which has remained shut down since March 2013, when Rusal the Russian Company to which the company was privatized, abandoned it.

The group therefore urged Udoma to use the federal might to compel the Russians to re-start ALSCON or hands off the company for other genuine investors; and as well use his position to attract other federal presence to the community.

Also commenting on the state of things in their state, the Forum renews it support for the Udom Emmanuel administration urging the Governor to remain focused and not be distracted by the recent election tribunal judgment which ordered a re-run of the governorship poll in 18 of the 31 local governments of the state.

The group said Akwa Ibom, going by the results of the other elections held during the 2015 polls, has remained a core PDP state and that there was no magic that would overnight turn the it over to the APC. The Forum therefore urged Emmanuel not to lose sleep over the tribunal result but to remain resolute in his determination to industrialize the state.