The newly sworn-in governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Gabriel Emmanuel Udom, played the perfect protege yesterday by naming the Akwa Ibom State International Stadium after the immediate past governor, Godswill Akpabio.
The recently completed stadium, previously named Nest of Champions, is now to be called Godswill Obot Akpabio International Stadium.
The announcement, however, did not appear to get down well with the crowd that turned out to witness the inauguration ceremony as dead silence fell on the previously ecstatic crowd when the announcement was made.
A repetition of the announcement twice by the new governor confirmed the ill disposition of the crowd to it as the people remained dead silent.
Some people in the stadium expressed disbelief over the announcement while a woman, who gave her name simply as Grace, said: “This is not a very good start. We hope he will not be a rubber-stamp governor as most people have feared.”
Elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Udom had earlier promised to work with the All Progressives Congress (APC) controlled Federal Government in order to attract federal assistance to the state.
Udom, who presented his 12-point development plan to the state after taking his oath of office, appealed to opponents in the April 11 governorship election to “let partisan spirits yield to patriotism” for the sake of building a great state.
He praised Akpabio for taking Akwa Ibom to great heights and supporting him to ensure he emerges the new governor of the state.
He also appreciated the former first lady, Mrs Ekaette Unoma Akpabio, members of the State House of Assembly, traditional institutions, women, the youth, students and the media for the support they gave him to emerge the new governor of the state.
He appealed for continuous support from all segments of the state, promising to keep his own part of the development covenant he had entered into with the people.
The governor’s 12-point development agenda include fighting corruption; continuing the infrastructural development of the state; involvement of the private sector to build the state’s economy, using the PPP model; upholding the tenets of democratic governance; respecting party structures and ensuring the security of lives and property of all residents in the state.
The governor promised to ensure justice and fair play and to be firm but fair to all. He promise to ensure accountability in government; promote trade and commerce; develop good working relationship with other arms of government and work to industrialise the state and provide employment for the jobless. The Nation
