April 19, 2018

Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa ibom on Thursday expressed the hope that the nation’s economic recovery would move faster  following Tuesday’s positive jump in price of crude oil at the international market.

Emmanuel met with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who is the chairman of the National Economic Council (NEC), where both discussed the implications of the new oil price and the way forward for Nigeria.

The governor told State House correspondents at a briefing that the country should capitalize on the new oil price to step up economic recovery and move the country beyond present level of development.

“Our economy should move much faster. Yesterday the oil price was well over 73 dollars per barrel,  this is a good sign of an economy that should get into improving very soon.’’

He said that the meeting with the Vice President was purely on the economy.

“The Vice President is the chairman of NEC and once you see a forward-looking governor like ours coming to have a discussion with him, know that it is 100 per cent about the economy.

“Whatsoever rubs off in the state must also play part in the country, especially a state that I run as the largest oil producer in the country today even though  as you all are aware I do not have a deep to show for it.

“But at least we must do our best to make sure we contribute significantly to the economy of this country,’’ he said.

Emmanuel cautioned politicians and others from making unguarded statements.

“I hear people making all sorts of comments; at times someone who does not understand and had never seen crude oil before telling you about on-shore, off-shore.

“All those things are dead and buried let people not make inflammatory statements that would cause problems.

The governor said his administration was able to tackle the problem of perennial flooding in many parts of the state but noted that erosion was now a major concern.

He said the state was playing politics of development which isolated it from the kinds of politics seen in the rest of Africa.

“We are more particular about development. Look at the quality of leaders we have been bringing out since 2003 till today, look at the profile of the leaders and it is a clear direction that we are out for development.

“We are not out for some of the propaganda that some other states play and we are not out for deceit; we are out for the truth and the truth stands out; I think we have done well,’’ Emmanuel said.