In the spirit of the Yuletide season, Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has underscored the importance of ethical conduct, stressing the essence of the season, which, according to him, epitomises love and unity of purpose to engender peace for the overall development of the state.
Addressing residents in a state-wide broadcast in Uyo, the state capital, he stressed the need for forgiveness to heal the wounds, which is in line with the virtues of love that the Lord Jesus Christ exemplifies.
He said: “Today, we join millions of Christian adherents to celebrate Christmas which signifies the birth of the Prince of Peace and Saviour of mankind, our Lord Jesus Christ.
“Christmas is a season of love, of giving and of unity. It is a period where we should redouble our efforts in looking out for the vulnerable and the downtrodden and inspire in them a spirit of hope and faith that, just as our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was born in a manger, their circumstance today may change, and they too, can be leaders of tomorrow.
“Let me thank you my dear people for the prayers and support you have given us in the last eighteen months as we work to deepen the growth and prosperity of our dear State.
“We have been humbled greatly by what we have collectively achieved across sectors, and as we get ready to usher in the New Year, we will continue to roll our sleeves and work harder to ensure we produce enough food to feed our people, extend more development to the rural areas, expand our infrastructure, ensure our state remains an oasis of peace and tranquility and get our children to remain focused in their educational pursuits, so they may compete with their peers all over the world, in the spirit of our Arise Agenda.
“We will continue to focus on the needs of our people, while challenging them to Arise and flourish through the creative application of the talents and creativity God has embedded in us all.
“We have already paid the 13 month salary popularly known as ‘Eno-mber’. Together, with the Organized Labour, work on the verification exercise of actual number of public service employees is ongoing and we hope the process will end very soon so we may commence the payment of the 80 thousand Naira minimum wage we have agreed on.
To bring Christmas cheers to every corner and cranny of this blessed state, we have released 20 bags of rice to be given to each of the 2, 272 gazetted villages in the state.
“This is a season of glad tidings and we are hopeful that other stakeholders all over the 368 wards will complement the efforts of government to touch the lives of the people in their respective communities.
“Our State is peaceful, safe and secure, and I urge our great and resourceful youths to help maintain this status during the Yuletide. I enjoin them to shun anti-social tendencies or acts capable of disturbing public peace.
“Let us wear our unity and love as badges of honour and continue to celebrate our bonds of kindredship, which, thankfully, is currently in full display at the Christmas Unplugged 2024 edition.”
