Akwa Ibom State first lady, Patience Umo Eno, has expressed concerns over the prevailing poverty in rural communities across the 31 local government areas, and has launched mass intervention schemes to mitigate the scourge on the population.
Under her pet-project, the Golden Initiative For All (GIFA), Mrs Eno has constructed a multi-million Agribusiness factory at Mbiabong Ikot Udo village in Ini local government area for local processing of garri, palm oil and other agricultural produce to boost food security.
Inaugurating the project, which she donated to the family of Benjamin Asukwo Umoren, a family of eight heavily impacted by acute poverty, the first lady expressed optimism that the facility would turn around the socio-economic fortunes of the communities, especially at these trying times.
She assured that through the GIFA initiative, her office would continue to touch the lives of the downtrodden in line with her husband’s ‘ARISE Agenda’ and urged the beneficiaries to protect the plant while utilising it to address their immediate food needs.
“GIFA is prepared to alleviate the suffering of the poor women, widows, aged men and women and children of poor parents in the communities,” she assured.
Chief host and chairman of the LGA, Amb Inibehe Umah, commended the first lady for the project, noting that it would go a long way towards alleviating poverty and enhancing the spirit of self-reliance through entrepreneurship.
In the same vein, the commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Offiong Offor; former commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Glory Edet and the member representing Ini State Constituency in the House of Assembly, Lawrence Udoide, thanked the governor’s wife for using her office to positively touch the lives of the needy and the less-privileged.
They maintained that the people of Ini would continue to remain resolute in their support for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led administration under Governor Eno for more dividends of democracy to the people of the state.
