52% of Akwa Ibom youth unemployed, state’s industries phony – APC guber aspirant

An All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant, Professor Chris Ekong, has said the industries created by the present administration in Akwa Ibom state are phony and overrated.

Ekong, a Professor of Economics at the University of Uyo, also lamented that more than 52 percent of the youth in the state are unemployed.

Speaking with newsmen in Uyo weekend, the governorship hopeful challenged the state government to publish the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from the acclaimed industries.

He bemoaned the level of deception the present government to swindle the state, saying that the CCTV cameras for which over N10 billion was budgeted does not exist, adding “nobody have seen it till date.”

He said: “There is a difference between an industry and a shop. What we are witnessing in this state is very heartbreaking.

“Industry is not about open today for groundbreaking and closing tomorrow. If they are sincere, they should tell us their equity participation, how many people they employed, their turnovers, and where they sell the products.

“Even the recently commissioned coconut refinery, Akwa Ibom has no equity participation. If it has, let them show us. How can they plant on salty soil? I don’t know who gave them such an idea.”

The governorship aspirant said his emergence is to redeem the state by righting all the wrongs against the people of the state in all sectors of the economy.

He said: “A deep look through the economy of Akwa Ibom state over the last seven years indicates serious misalignments that have veered the economy off its gauge.”