Pastor Umo Eno, Governor of Akwa Ibom State, has urged people and organizations against erecting unlawful buildings on roadsides indiscriminately in order to receive compensation from the state government.
He went on to say that such unlawful structures impede development efforts and would not be encouraged.
During a thanksgiving service in his hometown of Ikot Ekpene Udo, Nsit Ubium Local Government Area of the State, the governor emphasized that his administration will only pay compensation for officially recognized constructions.
Governor Eno, who criticized the indiscriminate growth of unjustified constructions on community roadsides, labeled the behavior as anti-development motivated by avarice to defraud the government of revenue, and ordered owners of the unsolicited structures to demolish them immediately.
“Please, for those of you who have heard me say that we are going to build roads, thank God that our traditional rulers and village heads from these communities are here.”
“I’d like to take this opportunity to appeal to anyone who is erecting illegal structures by the road in the hope of receiving compensation to please refrain from doing so.”
“This is a serious warning; if we come to your community with a project and you obstruct it for compensation, we will leave and take the project to another community.”
“I will not fight to assist the people of the community.” You should welcome and encourage us if we come to your local government, town, or community for development. We are ready to develop rural areas. We are ready to work, but please ensure that when we arrive, we are not met with any type of opposition.
“It is not out of place to pay compensation for existing structures, but we will not pay for hastily constructed buildings,” he said.
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The governor also directed local government council chairmen across the state to make available hundreds of hectares of land in their domains for development projects, explaining that the move will allow his administration to take development to the grassroots, as outlined in his administration’s A.R.I.S.E. agenda.
He thanked the people for their assistance in ensuring his election as governor in the recent general elections, and he especially praised the church for uniting with various denominations to thank God for his victory.
“This is just a chance.” “I may not be able to visit every church individually, but that does not mean I will not honor your invitation when necessary,” he remarked.
Preaching on the theme “A Man After God’s Heart,” Apostle E.E. Inyang, who drew his message from Acts 13:17-22 and 1st Samuel 16:3,13, admonished that a man after God’s heart is diligent in his ways, humble in the Lord, and fully depends on God, adding that such a man who is led by the spirit of God enjoys favor, protection, blessing, does not stop his journey halfway, and is compassionate and generous to