Gov. Umo Eno after the induction.
… inducted as patron of NIPR
By Anietie Akpan
Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has declared that within the first two years of his administration, the numerous projects executed by his administration were delivered without borrowing from any financial institution.
The Governor stated this Thursday, May 22, at the occasion of his investiture as Patron of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), in Uyo.
He said, “As we stand today, we have not in the last two years borrowed a dime from anybody. We have been building a serving pool from the funds that came to us to be able to seamlessly finance our projects and development”.
The Governor attributed the availability of funds to the strategic and visionary decisions taken by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu which have yielded increased revenue and more funds for developmental projects.
“This wouldn’t have been possible if our President didn’t take some serious decisions to maximize the revenue of the country and that of the States,” he added.
Pastor Eno expressed his determination to make the State a tourist destination of choice in the country, mentioning the ongoing reconstruction of the abandoned 5,000 seater capacity International Conference Centre, the 200 room world-class hotel as indicators.
“We are developing our infrastructures to be able to support tourism, and I think that the next time you come by the grace of God, our International Conference Centre, with a capacity for holding five thousand people with several break out rooms and two hundred bed-hotel by it, as well as a shopping city should be ready. It is an 18-month project and we are very deliberate about it,” he assured.
According to the Governor, “We believe that our programmes towards diversification of our economy are tilting towards tourism, and we are developing tourism assets across the State that will make any visitor want to spend time here.”
Highpoint of the occasion was the induction of the Governor as Patron of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations.
Accepting the honour, Governor Eno promised to abide by the code of conduct that governs the Institute as well as support the ideals of the organisation.
Performing the investiture, the NIPR President and Chairman of the Council, Dr. Ike Neliaku, said the honour was in line with the acknowledgement of the role of the Patron as the guiding light of the NIPR in promoting the organization’s code, professional standard and solemn commitment to create a more reputation- conscious society where the dignity and pride of all people and cultures in the land are respected.
The investiture which was part of the Nigerian Public Relations Week in Uyo, with the theme: ” Beyond Headlines : Harnessing Public Relations for Economic Renaissance,” was graced by members of the State Executive Council, the political class, fellows and members of the Institute.
