By Ogenyi Ogenyi, Uyo
An advocacy group, Open Forum for Humanity Organisation, has called for a meeting between Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, and former Governor Victor Attah over rising controversy surrounding the abandoned Ibom Science Park project in Uyo.
The group said such a meeting would help ease tensions generated by Governor Eno’s decision not to continue with the multi-billion-naira project initiated by the Attah administration.
The Ibom Science Park project was reportedly awarded to a South African firm, SBJ Consortium, for about ₦6 billion, with approximately ₦5.2 billion already paid over two decades ago.
The controversy followed Governor Eno’s recent remarks suggesting that the concept of a traditional science park had become outdated, noting that modern innovation hubs are now technology-driven and decentralised.
Responding to a traditional appeal by the Paramount Ruler of Uyo, Edidem Sylvanus Okon, to complete the project, the governor reportedly said:
“There is nothing like Science Park. Science Park now is in laptops. We have replicated the Science Park in the Youth Development Centres. If you go to each of the youth development centres, you will see we have space for creative thinking; we have laboratories in each local government area. We have decentralised the Science Park. I am going to give that land to any coming investor free so that we stop talking about the park. Government had paid compensation and claimed the place.”
Addressing a press conference in Uyo over the weekend, founder of the Open Forum, Mr. Mathew Okono, expressed disappointment over the decision, arguing that the project holds significant economic and manpower development potential for the state.
He called for wider consultations and expert input, including private sector engagement, on whether the project could be revived under a public-private partnership (PPP) model.
“We are tempted to believe that Obong Attah’s opinion may have never been sought as the progenitor of the Science Park project before the announcement by His Excellency,” Okono said.
He urged Governor Eno to convene an exclusive meeting with the former governor to review the future of the project, describing Attah as “the father of modern Akwa Ibom.”
The group also called for a review of the governor’s advisory team, alleging that some aides lacked institutional knowledge of the project and were providing poor guidance.
Okono further criticised what he described as “ill-informed statements” by some officials, urging restraint in public communication on sensitive government projects.
He maintained that an independent assessment of the project would likely reveal errors in judgment in abandoning it in favour of decentralised youth ICT centres across the state.
He also referenced reports of a proposed $2.5 billion investment consortium interested in developing and managing the project, with potential linkages to all 31 local government areas and the Ibom Deep Seaport.
Okono reminded the governor that the Ibom Science Park was part of the ARISE Agenda development blueprint and had featured in earlier state budget provisions.
He added that the project had long been positioned as a strategic investment initiative capable of boosting internally generated revenue and industrial growth.
The group further called for a forensic audit of state-owned investments, including the operations of relevant government agencies overseeing such projects.
It cautioned that political realignments should not influence policy decisions on major development projects, urging continuity in governance and adherence to campaign promises.
