Governor Pastor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has called upon stakeholders throughout the state to safeguard public facilities within their respective areas against vandalism. The governor emphasized that the government cannot continue to allocate resources to repair or replace damaged facilities.Governor Pastor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has called upon stakeholders throughout the state to safeguard public facilities within their respective areas against vandalism. The governor emphasized that the government cannot continue to allocate resources to repair or replace damaged facilities.
The Governor made these remarks during his address to worshippers at the monthly Government House prayer service held at the Later House Chapel, Governor’s Lodge, Uyo in April.
He emphasized that the government is striving to reach all communities in the state. Additionally, he stated that the practice of replacing vandalized facilities in some communities while others lack such amenities will no longer be accepted.
Making specific reference to electricity transformers, he said, “There is so much request for transformers and I want to appeal that there are communities that transformers were already given. I know the last administration bought well over two hundred transformers, they distributed these transformers, and fixed them but people have vandalized some.
“People live in these communities, so when government brings transformer to your community and you cannot watch it or set up a system to protect it, and they are vandalized and you come again, understand that we have many communities in this state, and would not replace newly-installed transformers if the people there don’t know the value of transformers.
“You need to form a neighborhood watch or vigilante to protect those transformers and other government assets around you. These facilities belong to all of us, so be interested in them,” he said.
The Governor remarked that his first anniversary was approaching, and soon the list of projects scheduled for commissioning would be announced. He urged stakeholders to participate in the anniversary activities.
He expressed disappointment over attempts by certain individuals to obstruct the government’s efforts to reach out to elderly citizens through the ARISE Elders Initiative. He emphasized that the initiative is intended for all Akwa Ibomites, irrespective of party affiliation, and criticized the notion of one stakeholder selecting all beneficiaries.
According to him, “Every month, each local government gives us at least fifteen elderly people so that we can help them with their medications. A lot of these people die because medical attention don’t get to them. We give them fifty thousand naira each a month. It is our ARISE initiative for the elderly, but we have received complaints that people have highjacked the process.
“Please, allow the process to run. One person cannot bring fifteen people. What is wrong with a local government chairman going to the paramount ruler, sit with him and make the selection? It is not supposed to be a PDP thing. Government programmes are not meant for PDP members alone, it is meant for everybody. It should benefit everyone.
“So please, select old men and women across the wards, let them come and get the money. Recreational activities are also organised during the meeting so that they can go home with joy in their hearts. So, please I ask that the coordinator should bring people together and not just deal with only one family. We mean well for our people and they should benefit from these programmes.
“A lot of people are asking us, what is your legacy project? For me, our legacy project is rural development. Everybody has his own style. The current reality demands that we do soft infrastructure, I call them soft infrastructures because you can do those hard ones and before people will use them, they are dead.
“That is not to say that we won’t do what we wanted to do. As we step into the second year, we are stepping up on what we wanted to do in line with our ARISE Agenda,” he added.
The State’s Chief Executive also emphasized the importance of citizens prioritizing their security. He highlighted recent events, indicating that 20 percent of kidnappings in the state occur by chance, while 80 percent involve information provided by individuals around the victim.
Therefore, he urged everyone to limit the sharing of personal information on social media platforms, as it poses security risks.
Governor Eno expressed gratitude to the Guest Minister, Rev. Emmanuel Iniama, Senior Pastor of Precious Faith Int’l Church, for his message, and thanked all worshipers for attending the service.
Earlier in his message on the theme, “Deliverance from Wicked and Unreasonable Men,” with text taken from 2 Thessalonians 3:2, Rev. Iniama said such men are everywhere and only through prayers, discernment, fasting and training can one be delivered from them.