Emmanuel faults report on high rate of HIV/AIDS, drop-outs cases

Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel has debunked reports published by some bodies about the state’s high prevalence rate in Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) and out-of-school children cases.

He challenged the bodies to come out for open verification with the state government.

The governor stated this at a press conference on Tuesday during the activities to round off the celebration of the state’s 32nd anniversary at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Uyo.

Emmanuel, who said he had done this severally but to no avail, warned that if after now nobody comes out, such wrong information about the state should not be peddled again, alleging that such were the handiwork of the enemies of the state.

“Let me disprove that some of the statistics they are publishing concerning Akwa Ibom State on HIV/AIDS are completely and absolutely wrong. I have challenged that repeatedly.

“Akwa Ibom cannot have 5.5 per cent of its population infected with HIV and the number of dropouts in school. How can we have dropouts in schools when we are paying subvention, running free and compulsory education and even paying fees for our pupils to write Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations (SSSCE)? Where did they get the statistics? I am challenging them to come and tell us where they get those statistics. It is wrong information, people cannot just rubbish our state,” he said.

The governor, who stated that education, power, health, agriculture and industrialisation sectors, among others, had received tremendous support from the government, urged the people of the state to always pray for the success of the state, noting that he prays for the state to succeed more than he prays for his children.

“We have only one state and this state must be one of the best not only in Nigeria but in Africa. I believe that if Akwa Ibom is a better place, we can start a few things in this country, make a lot of things work and then other states can copy us. By then, we can make a better Nigeria.”

“You don’t know how somebody like me feels when others do as if they have two heads or any particular part of this world have the monopoly of God.

“The same God that is God of America is God of Akwa Ibom State and the same God of Europe is God of Akwa Ibom. But the only thing that we need to reshape is how we also approach life. I believe once the passion is right, nothing is impossible,” he said.