Governor of Akwa Ibom State Umo Eno has expressed optimism that Nigeria is on the verge of recovering from its prevailing socio-economic challenges, assuring that the painful era will soon give way to a new dawn of prosperity.
Urging Nigerians to maintain their patience, the governor assured that the federal government’s ongoing economic reforms were gradually yielding fruits. He noted that President Bola Tinubu’s measures to reposition the country have engendered positive multiplier effects across the subnational systems.
Addressing the constituents drawn from the Uyo federal constituency comprising Uyo, Uruan, Nsit Atai and Ibesikpo Asutan local government areas who converged at the Uyo township stadium for the ongoing town hall meetings across the 10 federal constituencies, he committed to lifting the people out of poverty in line with the ARISE Agenda of his administration and President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI).
He, therefore, donated 10,000 sets of business equipment to 2,000 entrepreneurs engaged in various crafts including tailoring, barbing, shoe making, welding, laundry, hair styling, car wash, make- up artistry, baking, palm and cassava milling, vulcanizing, and tiling under the ARISE Entrepreneurial Equipment Support Scheme (AEESS).
Also presented were 77 minibuses and 31 saloon cars to various beneficiaries, while some others who have distinguished themselves in various educational pursuits got various cash gifts under the Academic Excellence Award (AEA) and Exceptional Grit Award (EGA).
Under the academic excellence category, Edidiong Essien, who scored 8 Alphas in the 2023 West African School Certificate Examination (WASCE), was awarded N10 million; a Medical Doctor, Dr. Joseph Akpan, who scored 10 distinctions out of eleven courses in his final examination at the University of Uyo (UNIUYO), was awarded full tuition and living expenses to study for a masters degree outside the country, while five Akwa Ibom students who won the Singapore- Bilateral International School Debate, got N15 million, with an additional N5 million going to the teachers that led the team.
Also awarded in the exceptional grit category was a female tipper truck driver, Otobong Philip Udoh, from Ikot Ukana, Nto Edino, Obot Akara LGA, who who got N5 million, for daring to venture into a male- dominated trade.
The governor explained that the event was in furtherance of the continuous push to stimulate the state’s economy through Medium and Small Scale Enterprises (SMSEs), noting that “they are the driving force for the creation of a thriving middle class.”
He applauded President Bola Tinubu for his economic policies, which, according to him, were gradually revitalizing the economy.
The state commissioner for Trade and Investment, Dr Ubong Inyang, and his Science and Digital Economy counterpart, Dr Frank Ekpenyong, as well as the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Entrepreneurial Development, Mr Ime Uwah who gave insight into the event, said the governor was passionate about growing SMEs, adding that the approach was the real deal in empowerment.
