Governor Umo Eno says his recognition as Governor of the Year by Leadership Newspaper, is not an honour to him alone, but an award to the entire people of Akwa Ibom State, saying no leader succeeds alone.
He has also insisted that the award, which is an indication that he is on a national podium, will motivate him to perform even more in service delivery to his people.
Governor Eno spoke when he received in audience, the management team delegation from LEADERSHIP Newspaper, led by the Vice Chairman, Mr Mike Okpere, in his office in Uyo.
Dedicating the award to the State’s departed First Lady, Governor Eno recounted that she played a pivotal role in his performance in the State.
He also attributed the success of his administration to the support of his family, the deputy governor, and his team members, including the immediate past executive council members.
“Like I said last week during our valedictory dinner, we just had to rejig. If the reason for rejigging was lack of performance, I don’t think I would have dissolved the exco, because they did a fantastic job and all that hard work culminated in this award.
“We thank you for the faith you have shown in us and again for being very apolitical in your selection.
“For a first-time Governor, barely 20 months in office, honestly this is not what I would ordinarily expect, and for you to have done your analyses and looked closely, it shows that we are being watched.
“This gesture gives us hope in our country, that things can be done properly.
Giving an insight into his approach to governance, Pastor Eno said, “I understand clearly the yearnings of the people. I have been on the other side and I have mingled with the people and I know their expectations. Being in Government gives me the privilege of trying to address the yearnings of the ‘popular side’.
“That informed my decision to adopt a bottom-up approach to leadership, people in the rural community must feel the impact of Government.
“They don’t have to wait every four years for us to return with a bag of rice to gain their votes.
“We thank God that we have been able to bring a touch of governance to the downtrodden, the vulnerable, while also attempting other impactful projects and programmes for the people.”
The Governor emphasized his belief in the welfare and well-being of the people, stressing that he would love the people to be his greatest legacy project.
“This award will ginger us to do more, now that we know we are on the national stage.”
He promised to continue working towards the unity of the country, especially through political inclusivity, and to bring dividends to his people by working across party lines to succeed.
Earlier the leader of the delegation and Vice Chairman of the LEADERSHIP Newspaper, Mr Mike Okpere, had explained that LEADERSHIP Newspaper confers awards annually on persons in the country based on assessment of their level of positive impact to the political and economic growth of the country.
He said the choice of Governor Eno, was unanimously accepted by the management team based on his performance in office.
“Your name first came up in November 2023, for the Awards, but we believed we should observe you more, and this time it was unanimously agreed that you deserve to be Governor of the Year.”
Mr Okpere maintained that the nominations for awards are devoid of political affiliation and other biases, and added that the Governor will share the stage with a couple of others, including the Newspaper’s Person of the Year, Alhaji Aliko Dankote.
“Our duty here is to invite you officially and to appeal to you to personally attend the event billed for April 8, 2025”, he said, while also commiserating with the Governor on the recent passing of the State’s First Lady.
In the delegation was a director of the Newspaper, Mr Abraham Nda-Isaiah, and the State Correspondent, Mr Iniobong Ekponta.
Photos:
