Sir Asuquo Edet Inuikim KJW, has decried the negative impact of ethnic politics on the economic development and inclusive governance of the state.
He said that ethnic politics, has over the years, proved to be the greatest factor militating against inclusive governance which could yield meaningful development in Akwa Ibom State.
Engr Inuikim was speaking as Special Guest of Honour at the 2024 Annual Branch Convention of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Akwa Ibom State Branch.
Delivering his address on Monday, September 30, 2024, at the Bishop James Moynagh Pastoral Centre in Uyo, Inuikim said the theme of the event, which focused on environmental and economic issues, could not be exhaustively addressed in a single day, as it required a conference of at least 3 to 7 days.
Referencing the views of various international organizations, Inuikim, who was represented at the event by the Editor in Chief of WatchmanPost, Comrade Sunday Antai, highlighted the common environmental challenges facing the state, including air pollution, water pollution, land and soil pollution, biodiversity loss, waste management, and climate change.
On the economic front, Inuikim noted that Akwa Ibom, despite being an oil-rich state with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of N7.77 billion, is still grappling with high poverty levels, unemployment, and other structural, social, and human development challenges.
The esteemed engineer and immediate past general manager of marine logistics at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) lamented that the pervasive influence of politics in the state has undermined the delivery of economically viable projects.
He cited the abandoned six-lane highway project and the Ibom Deep Seaport as examples of how “the politics of ethnicity and selective distribution or delivery of projects” have negatively impacted the state’s economy.
“As christians in democracy, we are supposed to be an example and a portrait of a Utopian state. A situation where party politics becomes a yardstick for survival over competence should be far from us,” Inuikim said.
The guest speaker emphasized that effective governance, investment in human development, infrastructure development, and economic diversification and value addition could foster sustainable development and inclusive governance in Akwa Ibom State.
Chief Inuikim expressed optimism that the wealth of experience and knowledge shared by the various speakers would contribute to finding solutions to the state’s environmental and economic challenges.
