Priscilla Akpanettot
Governor Umo Eno’s commitment to developing the rural areas of the State will yield in leaps and bounds, the Senior Special Adviser to the Governor, Essien Ndueso has said.
Ndueso said this when he featured on the 2023 online media chat of the Conference of Online Publishers in Akwa Ibom State (COOPA), recently.
Essien Ndueso who described the Governor as focussed and purpose-driven said the State’s Chief Executive has already made large imprints indicative of his readiness to fulfil his campaign promises.
“Since May 29, 2023, we can see that Pastor Umo Eno has continued to endear himself to the people of Akwa Ibom State by virtue of his disposition to governance. He has demystified governance. He has made people to know that you can see the Governor, touch the Governor or even wake up to find the Governor worshipping in your church without prior notice”.
“I have not seen where a Governor goes round from one rural community to the other to look for what to do for the people. By going round these rural communities, he’s able to see the expectations and yearnings of the rural communities”, he said.
Speaking on the Governor’s priorities, the SSA on Research and Documentation told the Online Publishers that Umo Eno is poised at changing the narrative in rural development.
“Rural development is the second leg of his agenda. He wants to prevent rural-urban drift in the state by developing rural communities”, he expressed.
“He is trying to put in place investments in agricultural development…the Governor has mandated all the Local Government Chairmen to present 50 to 100 hectares of land for his government to set up model farms in all the Local Government Areas, so that all Akwa Ibomites can get involved in productive agricultural ventures”, he stated.
Beyond agriculture, Ndueso informed that other aspects of rural development the Governor is keen about include: education, health and road infrastructure.
“I have not seen where Primary Healthcare is given the type of attention that Pastor Umo Eno is giving it in Akwa Ibom State or where Model Primary Schools are being developed around the ten Federal Constituencies, except in Akwa Ibom State.”
“In Ibesikpo Asutan, he flagged-off a Model Health Centre. In Ukanafun, he decided to put life back to the Ukanafun Cottage Hospital which was abandoned since 2011. He has promised that this will be replicated across the entire State. For him, Primary Health Care is to be taken very seriously”.
“Right now, Akwa Ibom is the only State in the Federation where a road project initiated by a Governor has been commissioned within 100 days. It has not happened anywhere. I have seen where Governors commission road projects that were started by their predecessors, but we are talking about where the Governor initiated projects and commissioned them under 100 days”, he maintained.
Speaking on the general acceptance of the Governor’s agenda by the people, the aide averred that the ARISE Agenda is both apt and relevant, and is a call for Akwa Ibomites to take action.
“The ARISE AGENDA comes both as a clarion call and an acronym for the Governor’s blueprint in Akwa Ibom State. It is an acronym and a wake-up call for the people to embrace opportunities and join hands in developing Akwa Ibom State.”
“To make the ARISE Agenda implementable, the Governor decided to institute a dialogue programme where critical stakeholders within and outside the State were brought in, to examine the manifesto, make inputs, take ownership of the manifesto and become part and parcel of the execution of the ARISE Agenda.”
He therefore charged the people of the State to heed the call and remain steadfast in allegiance to the State and the present administration.
