NIGERIA, UYO – Governor Umo Bassey Eno, of Akwa Ibom State in a broadcast assured residents of deeper consolidation and expansion as his administration rolled out governance priorities for 2026 in a New Year address.
The governor thanked residents for their support, attributing the state’s peace and steady progress over the past two and a half years to collective prayers, cooperation and sustained commitment to development.
He also commended the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly for approving the 2026 People’s Budget of Consolidation and Expansion, describing legislative executive collaboration as central to ethical and accountable governance.
Governor Eno praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic reforms, pledging continued support for the Renewed Hope Agenda while expressing confidence the reforms would deliver long-term national stability and growth.
He extended goodwill to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former leaders, while acknowledging youth groups for their recent rally endorsing national and state leaders ahead of 2027 elections.
According to the governor, the theme of the state’s New Year Thanksgiving Service, “The God of All Flesh,” reflects resilience, moral responsibility and faith-driven leadership amid economic and political challenges.
Governor Eno said peace remained the ethical foundation of development, warning that without sustained security and social cohesion, government investments would fail to deliver equitable benefits to citizens.
He announced renewed investment in agriculture, including a Tree Crop Revolution designed to empower farmers across all local government areas and promote generational wealth in rural communities.
Rural development, he said, would intensify through completion of ongoing projects, with stricter accountability measures guiding expenditure beyond the one-project-per-local-government initiative.
A major fiscal reform begins January 1, 2026, as the Treasury Single Account takes full effect, ending the practice of ministries generating and spending funds outside approved budgetary controls.
“The era of MDAs generating and spending funds outside the TSA is over,” the governor declared, warning that defaulters would face consequences for violating financial regulations. With over 1,000 kilometres of roads completed or ongoing, Governor Eno said contractors had returned to sites to ensure communities felt the impact of governance across all 31 local government areas.
He explained that new road projects emerged from NEEDS documents submitted during town hall meetings across the ten federal constituencies, aligning infrastructure priorities with citizen-identified needs.
The governor praised security agencies for inter-agency collaboration, stressing that the protection of lives and property remained the first ethical obligation of government. In education and healthcare, he reported progress through construction of model primary schools, model healthcare centres and commissioning of Ukanafun General Hospital.
Work has commenced on the 350-bed Ibom International Hospital, alongside recruitment of healthcare workers to strengthen service delivery and reduce systemic gaps in public health access.
Governor Eno reaffirmed his administration’s compassionate governance, pledging to expand ARISE Compassionate Homes beyond the 335 delivered and further reduce the inherited ₦112 billion gratuity backlog.
He disclosed that over ₦76.6 billion had already been paid, describing pension clearance as a moral duty owed to retirees who served the state diligently. Tourism and economic diversification will advance with commissioning of ARISE Palm Resort, Ibom Hotels projects, the Ibom International Convention Centre and rehabilitation of legacy hospitality assets.
The governor thanked President Tinubu for approving Victor Attah International Airport upgrade, expressing optimism that international operations would commence by April. He said the aviation ecosystem, including MRO facilities and taxiways, alongside the Ibom Deep Seaport project, remained on course following due process and documentation.
As political activities approach, Governor Eno urged leaders and citizens to reject violence, embrace issue-based politics and uphold unity as a shared ethical responsibility. The address was published on the Facebook page of the Chief Press Secretary, Ekerette Udo, and sighted mid-week by Truth live news, which monitored public reactions to the policy directions.
Governor Eno concluded by calling for unity, peace and progress, urging citizens to “ARISE” collectively toward renewed hope for Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria.