Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno has stated that by the end of September, his government would have paid N35bn being backlog of Gratuity arrears of retired civil servants in the state.
The Governor made this disclosure in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, during a meeting with Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio, a foremost Ibibio socio-cultural organisation.
He stated that almost half of the long-standing backlog of gratuity obligations owed to retired workers in the State will be addressed with an additional disbursement anticipated within the month.
The Governor underscored his administration’s commitment to judiciously manage government resources, highlighting that initiatives undertaken by his administration, such as the acquisition of two Bombardier CRJ 900 aircraft through a ₦60 billion procurement agreement to enhance the fleet of the state-owned airline, Ibom Air, have been carried out without incurring any external debt.
He further announced that his administration will undertake 25 projects that would be completed before the second of his stay in office without borrowing and explained that the state would fall into a vicious cycle of perpetual indebtedness, to the advantage of its creditors, if it relies on loans or other external financial instruments to fund major investments and projects.
He said: “Since I assumed office about fifteen months ago, we have undertaken very significant projects, and we are still pursuing more. About 25 projects will be initiated between now and when we celebrate our second year in office.
“Recently, the State Executive Council approved our support for Ibom Air to acquire two brand-new aircraft. I am proud to announce to Mboho that we have released ₦60 billion to Ibom Air to acquire two new CRJ900 aircraft from the State Government coffers.
“Our State must have an investment fund. We must deliberately and intentionally set aside funds to reinvest and place our State among those that will continue to lead. If we were squandering state funds, this State would not have been able to purchase the new aircraft.”