JOE EFFIONG, UYO

Akwa Ibom State government has said the 21-storey smart building inaugurated penultimate week by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, is almost over subscribed and such patronage may necessitate the construction a similar building in the nearest future.

The state commissioner for special duties, Mr Okpolupm Etteh, who said this while speaking with the press about the activities of his ministry, explained that so many companies coming into the state have booked for accommodation in the smart building, as such there may be no more space for those who would come later if another of such building is not urgently constructed.

“Right now, we have a whole lot of companies. That building is not even enough because the companies are interested in staying there. Like the fertilizer company in Ikot Abasi, they need an office here, while petrochemical that they want to do in Ibeno also needs an office here.

“When that building was conceived, we didn’t have ideas of all these companies. So right now the government is thinking of the phase two of that facility. It might not be 21-storey building; it might be ten floors, it might be Fifteen floors. So even if we can’t do it, the next government will do it because the demand for this office is higher than the space that is available.

“So definitely, a lot of companies, big companies not just Mobil; people have this idea that the entire building is built for Mobil. No, even now NNPC, DPR, they are interested, they need a floor. There are so many of them. Initially when the idea was conceived, we did not take cognizance of it. Because most of these companies are new in Akwa Ibom State, they are just coming in.”

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Etteh said even some companies that are going to operate at the proposed Ibom Deep Seaport, have made request for an office in Uyo.

“Akwa Ibom export hub, their operational base is going to be in Ibeno but they also requested for an office here. So now we have a problem of choice. Who do we give these accommodations? Whom do we tell to wait based on their seriousness to start business.”

He however said the issue of relocation of the IOCs headquarters from Lagos to Akwa Ibom is a federal government policy, since the federal government owns 60% shares in most of the oil companies.

“But what we have been able to do is that we cannot just operate in Akwa Ibom quarters and you have office in Lagos. So if somebody is looking for an employment or to make enquires will he go to Lagos. No! We said come and have your, even if you want to call it the, regional office, have it here in Uyo, let the people of Akwa Ibom State in whose territory you are operating have access to you. “

The vice president had during the inauguration of the smart building challenged the IOCs to relocate to Uyo saying that they had no more excuse to stay put in Lagos.