Akwa Ibom Rural Women To Get Poverty Alleviation Scheme

Wife of the governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mrs Patience Umo Eno, has assured women at the grassroots of her husband’s commitment to their welfare, through the rural development component of the ‘ARISE Agenda’, targeted at economic self-reliance.

Mrs Eno declared this during the first anniversary of the All Women of Ikot Abasi Noble Assembly (AWOIKANA), a prayer group of the Vigorous Women International Ministry (VWIM), in collaboration with Ikot Abasi female stakeholders, at the Council Hall, Ikot Abasi local government area of the state.

The first lady, who harped on the need for women to be productive in the family and the society, said women as custodians of family ethos deserve to be empowered for the sake of the family unit, hence their inclusion in plans by the state government.

Reflecting on the theme of the one-year anniversary, the governor’s wife, who said she has a living proof of God’s help in her family, encouraged the women to continue in prayers and have faith in God in order to receive divine help.

“I came to encourage you today; if you have never believed in God for anything, start now. I decided to come here the moment I realised that the theme for this service was ‘Jehovah Ebenezer’, which means so much to me,” she said.

In a sermon, Pastor Idongesit Charis Essienobong who spoke on the theme: “Ebenezer: My stone of help”, with scriptural reference drawn from 1Samuel 7: 7- 13 said the stone of Ebenezer signifies total trusting and depending on God, adding that anyone trusting in anything short of God is bound for destruction and failure, urging the congregation to always seek God’s help in times of trouble because God’s help is instant.

Describing God as a God of all possibilities, Pastor Essienobong charged the people not to be surrounded by negativity but look unto God who has given an assurance of divine assistance and provision.