Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, has lauded the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel for building the longest bridge by any state in Nigeria.
While inaugurating the bridge built by the administration of Governor Udom Emmanuel in Mbo Local Government Area Of Akwa Ibom State,Jonathan described
Udom as a “miracle worker.
The bridge, which is 1.15 kilometres long, connects Mbo LGA with Esit Eket LGA and opens up riverine communities in Okobo, Mbo and Esit-Eket LGAs, and also opens the gateway into the economic nerve centres and homes of the Ibom Industrial City, Liberty Oil and Gas Free Trade Zone, Ibom Deep Seaport, Dakkada Global Oil, Ibom Solutions Hub and the Nigerian Navy’s Forward Operating Base (FOB) located on the shorelines of the Atlantic Ocean.
Vanguard maintained that as the bridge was flung open, residents of the largely fishing communities around the project, erupted with joy, jubilation, drumming and dancing, as Governor Udom accompanied by Jonathan and his wife Patience, arrived at the jam-packed site of the bridge for the historic event that is expected to impact on the economy of Akwa Ibom State in particular and Nigeria as a whole.
It was gathered that the joy that flowed at the opening stemmed from the historical fact that successive governments since 1969, have tried and failed to link up these communities with modern roads and bridges until Governor Udom decided to take it up and finally broke the jinx and added to the infrastructure stock of the country.
An excited former President Jonthan, who flagged off the project, said: “What I see whenever I visit Akwa Ibom State is substantial evidence of a well structured growth-promoting projects in the last seven and half years. I commend the Governor and his team very sincerely for this visionary leadership”.
Jonathan described the development strides in Akwa Ibom under Governor Udom as “great and remarkable”, adding that Udom is the “enabler of economic growth” in Akwa Ibom through several projects.
He said the bridge is not only a “flagship project”, adding, “The unique thing about this bridge is that it is the longest bridge in Nigeria ever built by a state government” and it takes someone with a total commitment to the improvement of the wellbeing and quality of life of his people to embark on this type of project that I am seeing here today”.
Jonathan said the governor does not build physical bridges alone but human,social and political bridges across the state and Nigeria.
Goodluck however condemned the high level of bitterness noticeable lately in Nigerian politics and called on the incoming governor of Akwa Ibom State to follow the footsteps of Udom Emmanuel.
