PDP FAITHFUL IN A'IBOM GET N13B HOUSING WINDFALL
Akwa Ibom State Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio has awarded contract for the construction of 2000 housing units across the state to executive members of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
The value of the contract is N13 billion and it is meant to empower the executives of the party from the state chairman to the ward officers to prepare for the 2011 general elections.
Announcing this on Wednesday in Uyo, Akpabio mentioned the beneficiaries to include state PDP executive members, senatorial chairmen, local government deputy chairmen, ward chairmen and others, women leaders and youth leaders.
Chief Akpabio noted that the PDP-led state government had done a lot in the area of infrastructure but was lacking human empowerment.
According to him, this may create acrimony among the partymen hence the need to empower them, adding that 'all the effort is to keep PDP working.'
He advised them to move to site, execute according to specification and handover soon to enable him commission the project. On the issue of zoning of political offices, Governor Akpabio who gave kudos to the arrangement said zoning, among other things, helped to extend rulership opportunity to those who had not been opportuned, hence a vital ingredient of democracy.
He commended the Peoples Democratic Party for endorsing President Jonathan to run the 2011 presidential election and called on all members of the party in the state to support Mr. President to complete his good works.
He also used the opportunity to thank all members of the party for their support during the president's visit to the state and assured that their confidence and support to the present administration does not go unnoticed.
Akpabio, who congratulated the state party Chairman, Mr. Uwem Ita Etuk and other stakeholders of the party for not allowing themselves to be distracted, said the president was pleased with the performance of the party executive in the state. He taxed others who were dissatisfied to come together and learn to succumb to the leadership of the party as no one was beyond the supremacy of the party.
The governor, however, recalled the various petitions brought against the reconstitution of PDP executive structure by some aggrieved members starting from the days of the then PDP national chairman, Dr. Ahmadu Alli, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor to the present one, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo. He said despite the petitions, lies and blackmail brought against him and the party, the national hierarchy had confirmed the state party executive structure as constituted and led by Prince Uwem Ita Etuk even up to the ward level.
'In 2006, I did not have a party structure, but now I have the structure,' Akpabio noted. Earlier, the state PDP Chairman, Mr Uwem Ita Etuk dispelled rumour on change in the party executive structure, saying: 'Don't be apprehensive. Be steadfast. The party is intact.' Etuk said the party wanted to streamline to know the number of deaths and number of political appointees among its rank in order to fill the vacant positions.