Governor Udom admonishes Akwa Ibom people in Easter message to join hands in building the state

Akwa Ibom State governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel has charged citizens and residents that notwithstanding their belief in the celebration of Easter, the dominant lesson was that of showing love to one another by remembering those in need and those who are persecuted.

This was contained Sunday in the governor’s Easter message to the people of the state on the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In the message made available to journalists in Uyo, he charged the people to remember that while commemorating the season, they should give hope to the hopeless, encourage the weak and care for those who are sick.

“Even though the manner we choose to celebrate this most important event in the Christian Calendar may differ, we must all use this occasion to renew our commitment to being more Christ-like in loving our neighbours, remembering those in need, and helping those who are persecuted in our midst. His extraordinary sacrifice and compassion should inspire us to live for others and love one another”.

According to him, as a state in the past seven years, God has quickened the pace of development and growth, adding that a state that was once known as a civil service state, is today being known nationally as ‘Nigeria’s Best Kept Secret’, stressing that, “We have shown the world that when the passion is right, great and enduring things can also happen”.

“As a State, we have, in the past seven years, experienced the unquantifiable joy of His resurrection, for the God who quickened Jesus Christ from the dead, is still quickening our pace of development and growth.

“My dear Akwaibomites, in the last seven years, we have laid a foundation of growth and development that would, like Dubai, was in 1985, blossom in the next few years into a fast industrializing and glittering State where the people’s aspirations would be met; wherefrom Land, Air and Sea, our State would be the cynosure of all eyes, where the economy would be private-sector driven, where our youths would be engaged, where the brightest and the best among us would enjoy incredible opportunities for growth and fulfilment.

“My dear Akwaibomites, this is the way modern societies that we travel to, and love, were grown and established. That is what I am doing for our people and posterity will remember and celebrate us for seizing the moment”.

The governor assured the people that in as much as he was not giving his scores card now when he would be celebrating his full seventh year in office, appealed to the people to eschew hatred, anger and violence as political activities draw near.

“As the political season dawns, I urge our stakeholders across the political divide to eschew hatred, anger and violence. I urge them to understand that politics will come and politics will go, but the spirit of the Akwa Ibom enterprise will endure and continue to flourish.

“There is no political office that should compel us to shed the blood of our brothers or sisters. There is no ambition that is so deep and sacred that we would be willing to turn our State into a cauldron of violence, in order to satisfy our craving for power. All powers belong to God and He alone, grants such to whom He has favoured.

“Akwa Ibom has in the past seven years, remained an oasis of peace and tranquillity, and on this, I salute our resourceful youths who have decided to maintain the peace and invest in the future that is about to dawn – a future of plenty, a future of fulfilment and a future of growth and development.

“We will never go back to the years of violence and the years where we couldn’t sleep with our eyes closed. We will not return to the years where kidnapping and politically motivated killings numbed our sensibilities and made us question the central purpose of governance, which is the security of lives and property. Akwa Ibom people have collectively and unanimously said goodbye to those years and have welcomed the era of peace and security. Anyone who markets violence should and must be rejected.

“My fellow Akwaibomites, as we reflect on the unflinching love for mankind which the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ represent, I again urge you to eschew hatred, ethnicity, anger and all forms of divisive tendencies from our body-politic.

“Let us continue to join hands to build the Akwa Ibom State of our dream and secure a future of prosperity, peace and growth for our children and generations yet unborn”, he said.