Uche Usim, Abuja
Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, has hailed the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) for its sustained efforts in ensuring that hitherto redundant entities of government are successfully privatised to help develop the economy. He particularly thanked the Bureau for the efforts being put in place to resolve the lingering legal tussle on the Aluminum Smelter Company of Nigeria (ALSCON) at Ikot-Abasi, currently in a moribund state.
The governor gave the commendation recently when the management team of BPE, led by its Director General, Mr. Alex Okoh, paid him a courtesy visit in Uyo. He pledged to support the Bureau to achieve its reform and privatisation mandate and called on Nigerians to do same.
Udom noted the stabilising role of BPE in the nation’s economy and said that government is not usually a good manager of businesses but provides an enabling environment for businesses to thrive, hence the need to support the Bureau to carry out its assignment. The Governor who was represented by his deputy, Mr. Moses Ekpo, said the floating of an airline, Ibom Air by his government is part of his administration’s efforts to industrialise the state and that soon, the airline would be listed on the capital market for Nigerians to take up shares with indigenes of the state given preference.
Earlier on, Okoh informed the governor that the Federal Government is concerned with the lingering legal tussle surrounding ALSCON and has placed the issue on the front burner.
The Director General pointed out that if the Smelter Company was functioning, it would have provided about 8,500 direct jobs and 35,000 indirect jobs to Nigerians which Akwa-Ibom State would have been the greatest beneficiary.