From Mfon Ekefre, Uyo
Governor Udom Emmanuel has called on investors to take advantage of the numerous business opportunities in Akwa Ibom State to grow their capital and turnaround the economy of the state.
Emmanuel, who made the call during a panel discussion at the World Pension Submit (WPS) in Abuja, listed Ibom Deep Seaport as one of the opportunities with a value of over $89 billion, meant to serve as a trans-shipment port for the entire Gulf of Guinea and to progress with an industrial park in turning the state into a veritable platform for investment.
Governor Emmanuel mentioned the oil and gas sector as another area of interest, emphasizing that the power challenge which has been the bane of industrial growth in the country would be surmounted as soon as the abundant power supply takes off.
In another development the state government is poised to revive the existing laws with a view to putting in place efficient structural framework for the smooth implementation of the contributory pension scheme.
The measure, according to the governor, is to ensure proper management of the pension scheme to forestall the prevalent deficit on the pension arrears of workers during their retirement.
He said the measure will help to checkmate misappropriation of funds, change the perception of workers who look forward to retirement with disdain and usually wait for years without receiving their entitlement, saying “I want to see a state where, within a short period, we don’t have any deficit of pension arrears”.
Commenting on the participation at the summit, the state commissioner for finance, Mr. Akan Okon, observed that the state has a lot to gain from the event.
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