Gov. Umo Eno during the broadcast.
By Anietie Akpan
The Governor Akwa Ibom State has gone spiritua, prophesing better days for the state saying, as the Lord has Risen after all suffering, Akwa Ibom is rising and will soon overcome all her challenges just as Jesus Christ.
While wishing all a happy Easter in his “2025 Easter Broadcast” on Sunday, April 20 in Uyo, Governor Eno thanked the people of Akwa Ibom for the love shown and entrusted on him and others to serve, noting that, “though the economic outlook has been somewhat uncertain, and we have experienced pain and anguish due to global economic challenges, just as our Lord Jesus Christ endured suffering on the Cross and rose triumphantly, we too are optimistic and assured that, collectively, we will Arise and overcome these economic challenges”.
He said, “thankfully, through prudent management of our resources, the fog is lifting, and the horizon is becoming clearer and more predictable.
“We promised to run a Christ-centric and people-oriented administration—one that places the welfare and well-being of our people at the center of our engagements. I am glad to report that we are faithfully implementing this commitment”
With the mandate “given to us serve”, Eno said, “while we have embarked on numerous ambitious capital projects spanning infrastructure, healthcare delivery services, education, aviation, tourism, housing, and transport, among other key sectors; we have also, over the past 23 months, intentionally devoted ourselves to reaching out to the poorest and most vulnerable among us, giving them a reason to be hopeful, which is the essence of this season.
“We have built over 205 Arise Compassionate Homes for the most vulnerable, provided ₦50,000 monthly, through our Arise Elderly Care Initiative to 600 elders drawn from all 369 wards in the state, and construction is ongoing at our ARISE Senior Citizens Centre.
“We have enrolled over 15,000 vulnerable individuals in our Arise Care Insurance Scheme, which recently earned us a prize as a leading State in this regard”.
On the naughty issues of gratuities, Governor Eno who has been bestowed with many awards from some reputable organizations and encomiums poured on him few days ago by Vice President Kashim Shettima that his (Eno) Human Capital Development (HVD) Plan is a “template worthy of emulation by other states”, has given workers and retirees and others hope of good things today and for tomorrow.
In this regards, he said, “we have paid over ₦60 billion out of the ₦98 billion inherited as backlog in gratuities, enabling our retirees to enjoy peace and comfort in retirement.
“We have provided free food vouchers to the neediest and poorest, with the next phase set to commence soon, as well as our several youth support programmes. Additionally, we are consciously positioning our state as a destination of choice by deploying turnkey facilities such as Ibom Model Farms, the 766 Kilometers of roads being constructed across the State.
“Our Model Health Centres, Model Primary Schools, the composite ARISE Resort, the International Convention Centre, and Ibom Hotels amongst others are strategically undertaken to position us as the tourism hub of our nation”.
“May the peace of the Risen Christ abide with us all!” He prayed adding, “Today, we join others in the Body of Christ to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ and His triumph over death as well as the assurance of hope for eternal life”.
He said, “as we mark this season of love, sacrifice, and hope, I urge you, my dear people, to be rest assured that we are working diligently to elevate our state to higher levels of growth and development by prioritizing you, our people in all our endeavors”.
Governor Eno said, “Easter is a season of sacrifice, hope, and redemption. It represents love that is unconditional” and therefore declared, “Akwa Ibom is rising; our fundamentals for growth are rock-solid, and we are firmly on course for comprehensive growth and expansion”.
