The Post COVID-19 Economic and Reconstruction Committee set up by Governor Udom Emmanuel on Tuesday recommended that no cultist should henceforth be appointed into any political office in the state.
The Committee was set up by Governor Udom Emmanuel to look into the various ways the state’s economy can be repositioned after the Coronavirus pandemic and make recommendations to the state government.
The Secretary of the Committee, Professor Emmanuel Onwioduokit while presenting the committee’s report to Governor Emmanuel on Tuesday recommended that cultism should be stamped out of the state and no known cultist should be appointed into political offices or allowed to contest election in the state.
He added that those already holding political offices should be allowed to denounce membership of such groups in the state.
“Permit me to highlight a few of the recommendations contained in this report. One the re-orientation of the People’s mind especially the young people.
“Cultism must be stamped out of the state. The Committee recommended that no known cultists be given an appointment or be allowed to stand for any election or any political office in the state.
He said the committee looked at the future of the state’s economy without oil and recommended that Agriculture and Industry be utilized as the emerging economy going forward.
The Committee Secretary said efforts should also be made to complete the Science Park and revisit the waterways transportation adding the state Internal Revenue must be given full autonomy and be allowed to recruit and train people.
According to him, the Revenue board should be separated from the civil service and also given targets adding that the state already has a Gross Domestic Product therefore the target could be a benchmark for the state GDP.
He said that financial institutions such as the Akwa Savings and Loans scheme be recapitalized and made efficient to provide facilities for housing for low-income people of the state. This is critical.
The committee also recommended the need for the Economic Advisory Council to be created to assist in the formulation, conceptualization and implementation of government policies such that every policy will be based on facts.
