By Emmanuel Ndon
A strong contender and experienced ICT personality, Mr. Ime Umo has said that if given the mandate to represent the people of Ikot Ekpene/Obot Akara State Constituency in the next Assembly he will sponsor Bills that would create an Information and Communications Technology Agency as well as Tax Rebate to help network the State Government with its MDAs, increase the quantum of IGR for the state and create jobs for its citizenry.
Speaking to Journalists in Uyo the state capital early in the week, the former Managing Director of Hewlett Packard West Africa (for 8 years) said he would personally push a Bill for tax rebates to encourage global brands seeking to invest in Akwa Ibom State and his Constituency to create more jobs for the employable population.
“I plan to propose a bill that would enhance the conducive business environment for companies that are coming into the state. You know companies consider Tax Liabilities. So we will consider a bill that would strike a balance in ensuring that companies are not over-taxed” Mr. Umo stated.
The Journalist turn ICT products marketer in International companies for over 20 years said he would sponsor a bill for the establishment of the ICT Agency to help create a nexus between Akwa Ibom State government and its Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) for the smooth running of government business, domain name for Akwa Ibom State News, other ICT Products for sell to clients as well as create 7000 jobs for indigenes of the State.
He stated that Galaxy, with 3000 employees across Nigeria, is the ICT company of the federal government while Akwa Ibom State was yet to think in that direction.
According to him, “I will also see to it that there is an ICT Agency in this state. Whereas the Ministry of Science and Technology is for policy formulation, the ICT Agency will see to mobilising all the needed strategies to actualising the thrust of ICT in the state”.
The aspirant who appealed to the delegates in his Constituency to vote him during the forth-coming Primaries of the PDP observed that the Akwa Ibom Internal Revenue Service (AKIRS) could increase Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) well above its current level of over N30b or N40 annually if its operations are fully automated.
Also read: 8th Assembly 2023: Ikot Ekpene/Obot Akara Constituents Hail Ime Umo
In his reflection, Umo said a state like Lagos is doing hugely in IGR because of the full automation of its operations.
Mr. Umo said, “The state will tell you that it has generated 30 or 40 billion naira but if it was to be automated like it is obtainable in places like Lagos, you will discover that that amount would be higher than that.
“If you make your findings, you will discover that Lagos state has been generating huge sums of money from an ICT perspective.”
Mr. Ime Umo is a professional Journalist with HND in Mass Communication from Oko Polytechnic. He has a PGD in Management Science as well as MBA in Marketing, and cut his teeth in the ICT industry during his NYSC year in the Information/Communication department of Shell Petroleum in Warri(1991/92) and built his ICT career from there.
He is the former Managing Director of Hewlett Packard West Africa for 8 years, he worked with Royal Dutch Philips for two years in charge of 22 countries in West Africa (English and French speaking), and says his name resonates with many multi-national companies which any person can verify by Googling his name “Ime Umo”. Mr Umo says he is from Ibiakpan Nto Akan in Otoro Ubo, Ikot Ekpene LGA.
