With the distribution of the Arise free foods in the remaining 29 Local Government Areas today, as ordered by Pst. Umo Eno, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, the joy of the less privileged in our various communities throughout Akwa Ibom State knows no bounds. Tears of joy will certainly flow on the faces of the people who are truly deserving of the intervention programme, as some of them could not, previously, afford to buy a cup of Garri or Rice. For these set of people, Rice is an exclusive preserve of meal enjoyed at only exclusive ceremonies. That is if people still cook rice at some of the functions. Sometimes, they eat rice only when a benevolent ‘rich’ neighbour is magnanimous enough to give them.
♦️In this current economic reality, even the so called middle class people can no longer afford to buy a bag of rice. Those that managed to buy half bag of rice for their family are not interested in dashing it out to poor neighbours. Prices of staple foods has maintained its pride of place in high heavens, leaving the poor and downtrodden in our society to turn their hunger to fasting. Fasting that cannot be mixed with corresponding prayers, as that was never their genuine intentions, but forced into it by real hunger. The question has been, who will bail the Cat?
♦️Here comes Pst. Umo Bassey Eno, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, a man of great compassion, a friend of the poor masses, a care giver, a concerned Governor with listening ears, a man that came from that very stock that understood what its meant to be poor, a practical christian leader, the shepherd of the people, the social mixer that is not afraid to be identified with the poor, a man that has successfully demystified governance. Why won’t the people rejoice? Is it not when a leader move closer to the people that he will understand their problems? Gov. Umo Eno in his characteristics humility, does not just move closer to the people, he sits with them, eats with them and hears from them. A leader that only waves to the people will never understand the problem of the people.
♦️The staple foods items listed in the Bulk Purchase Intervention Programme were to be subsidized by the government and sold at a reduced rate to the people initially. But due to the fact that we have a Governor that listens to the poor masses, he understood that if these people are genuinely poor, they may not be able to afford it. Beside, the staple foods items meant for the poor may end up in the house of the rich, who may gather financial resources at their disposal and sweep the staple foods items from the designated stores. Then, the Governor, in his wisdom decided to give out the food items free of charge to the poor. What an act of benevolence? This kind of thinking is rare in our clime. Since the Governor assumed office on 29th May, 2023, anywhere he goes, he has been doing good. Everything the Governor has achieved so far in office, has a touch of compassion. Is it the payment of Leave Grant and Gratuities, Arise Initiative for Elders, Arise Compassionate Homes, Educational Trust fund for Students with disabilities, Payment of ‘WEAC’ fees, Payment of Bursaries, Remodeling of Public Primary Schools, Rejuvenation of Healthcare Centers, Entrepreneurial Development through Ibom-led, Construction of neglected Rural Roads, Massive Investment in Agriculture? etc.
♦️It did not take the people of Akwa Ibom State more than a month to know that Pst. Umo Eno is the type of Governor they wanted. His political inclusivity is topnotch. His kind of politics is not the “Winner takes it all” mentality. For the first time, we witnessed all political structures in the State collapsing for a sitting Governor even before election year. If there is any known university that trains people to become Governor of which Pst. Umo Eno graduated from, I bet you that this writer would brace up to be registered as a student, that is if the forms would be available for poor masses. Trust Nigerians.
♦️Anyone that can solve the problem of food for the poor has solved 50% of his/her problem. Not the problem of meat or egg. Where in the world have you seen a poor man who is genuinely hungry looking for meat or egg to eat? It is only in Nigeria that we feel a poor man should be eating meat and egg as meal. If you ask me, that is the mentality of thieves ‘Ole’, ‘Ino’ in our dialect.
♦️I congratulate everyone involved in the selection of the staple foods items for onward distribution to the poor masses to include Rice, Beans and Garri which form the basic needs of food to the neediest. God bless Pst. Umo Eno, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State for putting up a formidable team to come up with this excellent result in that regard.
♦️Now, over to the Personal Assistants to the Governor in all the 368 Wards in Akwa Ibom State. When they were about to be appointed, some leaders misunderstood the Governor, stating that they may be underuse or not useful at all. Needless blaming any of such leaders, because we have never gotten Personal Assistants picked from all the Political Wards in all the years of our political experience. It is normal to criticize a new policy, hence, what will be the work of the born critics? Those that knows how to score goals more than Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
♦️Concerning the Bulk Purchase Agency, it is no longer news that all Personal Assistants to the Governor in every Ward represented will be in charge of the vouchers to be used in redeeming the staple food items at the designated stores. The good news is that all the PAs to the Governor knows the supposed poor people in their different Wards. This is the wrong time to fake poverty. “Let the poor people breath”.
♦️As the affected Local Government Areas flags off the Bulk Purchase Agency today in their respective Local Government Headquarters as ordered by our peoples Governor, Pst. Umo Bassey Eno, endeavor to visit your respective Local Government centers today, to keep abreast of the guidelines so you too can assist the identified poor masses in your Ward.
♦️May God bless Pst. Umo Bassey Eno, the golden Governor of Akwa Ibom State, for supporting the poor masses in a time like this, thereby giving them a renewed hope. The golden era is here.
Arise, that same God.
Pst. Solomon Essiet (ACIA)
Special Assistant on New Media to the Governor of Akwa Ibom State
