Estate For Judges And Senior Govt Officials Flagged Off In Uyo

Governor Udom Emmanuel has flagged off construction of a residential estate for judges and other senior government officials in the state and federal government employ.

He has also announced that work has commenced on a befitting residential complex for the Chief Judge of the State.

Performing the flag off ceremony of Emily Haven Residential Estate at the site for the estate, along the ongoing Idongesit Nkanga Avenue in Uyo, Governor Emmanuel charged contractors handling the estate development project to utilize the dry season expeditiously at the site.

He hinted that work was already ongoing for a befitting official complex for the Chief Judge of the state which is to be completed and commissioned before the end of his administration.

“I made this same statement to the President General of our state Council of Chiefs that we will not leave office without having a befitting headquarters for our traditional institution, today we have one of the best in this country with residence and one of the finest traditional rulers chambers in the country.

“I want to assure the Chief Judge that this administration will not leave without a befitting residence for the Chief Judge of the State …and it had to be close to the Judiciary Headquarters”. We didn’t want to perform a ceremony for the groundbreaking of the Chief Judge’s residence, but we will only invite you for the inauguration, once the project is completed.”

Speaking further on the Housing Estate, the Governor said it was needful to lessen burden for post-retirement wellbeing for members of the bench of the Akwa Ibom State Judiciary who, he affirmed, have worked committed passionately and selflessly to ensure dispensation of justice, commending them for prioritizing the interest of the state and maintaining harmony among the arms of government.

“These are people who day and night they’re writing judgments. They don’t have time for themselves, that is why hardly see any judge getting excited, because they’re always thinking of the next case, so we thought we could actually try to lessen the burden on them when they retire”, he said. He clarified that the estate will not only be allocated to judges in the state employ, but also judges of Akwa Ibom origin in the federal service and other senior government officials.

Speaking further, the governor said allottees will be allowed to build to their retirement taste. He assured that the estate will be equipped with ducts for broad band services to meet the ICT needs of the current era and assured that the location will have a lot of advantages in terms of drainage facility and proximity to the city center.

Giving an overview of the estate in his opening remarks, the Commissioner for Lands and Water Resources, Pastor Umo Eno, said the 100 plots estate will sit on a 15 acres land which was acquired by the state government in 1991, abandoned and suffered encroachments but recently recovered. He thanked the Ifa Ikot Okpon community for cooperating with his Ministry to reclaim the land and formally handing it over to the government for the project.

The State Chief Judge, Justice Ekaette Obot, expressed appreciation to the State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel for initiating the idea of building a residential estate for senior state and federal government officials in the state. The Chief Judge lauded the administration of Governor Udom Emmanuel for his people-oriented projects which has transformed the state.

In his goodwill message, the Paramount Ruler of Uyo Local Government, Edidem Sylvanus Okon, thanked Governor Emmanuel for initiating the project which he noted will drive development in the area. He lauded the orderly manner the land has been secured and fenced, noting that it will prevent incidences of encroachments.