By Our Reporter
The Open Letter by a faceless APC- Progressive Youth Forum, circulating in social media platforms and some online newspapers against the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno has been described as indiscretion taken too far through a baseless figment of the imagination of a bunch, who missed the point in their infantile attempt to discredit the multifaceted youth intervention programmes by the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno”
Media Consltant to Governor Umo Eno, Hon Aniekan Umanah who made this known while interacting with newsmen in Uyo said the accusation of Governor Eno as “taking off bread from the mouth of the youths and replacing them with stones” is wicked and malicious as it’s purveyors have forgotten too soon that only few days ago, the governor hosted the youths of the state to a ‘Thank You Rally’ for not taking part in the recent Nation Wide Hunger Protest tagged #EndBadGovernance, reeled out several programmes for the youths, released a whooping N310,000,000 to youth in the State at N10,000,000 per Local Government Area in addition to the new charter of empowerment for 100,000 youths across the 31 Local Government Areas of the State beginning from October 2024.
Umanah queried why a Governor who has shown so much love for youths by increasing bursary payment for students in public tertiary institutions from N10,000 to N20,000 (undergraduates); N10,000 to N30,000 for professional students such as Law, Medicine, Engineering /Agriculture; covering over 20,00O students in the 2024/2025 academic session so far, will be dressed in such robes?
He called on the merchants of the false letter to recall the educational trust fund of N100,000,000 for students living with disabilities, payment of N2.1Blion Naira WEAC and NABTEC examination fees for students , even as 1,200 youths and entrepreneurs have benefitted from the Entrepreneurial Accelerator Programme (EAP) organized by IBOM-LED with N500,000 grant start-up capital and the programmed support for 3,000 youths in agribusiness, amongst others. Is that a Governor who is not supporting youths ? Umanah asked ?
The former Federal Lawmaker wondered how a Governor who has so far spent over N28 billion naira in payment of backlog gratuities and leave grants to retired workers with other humanitarian interventions through the ARISE Compassionate Homes project with underlining youth participation in the construction contracts be wrongly accused by this merchants of falsehood .
Hon. Umanah asked how and why a Governor Eno who has so far invested over N150 billion naira in road construction alone; done three to four projects in every Local Government Area with huge youth engagement be accused of not spending money in the State,
The Media Chief said the Governor has been very prudent and methodical in the management of State resources without borrowing a dime which account for multifaceted developmental projects spread across the state.
On the Free Food distribution programme, Umanah said the Governor deserves commendation for the successful food programme of the State Bulk Purchase Agency which has so far given out free staple food to more than 324,000 household and persons in the first phase and will commence the next phase of distribution to 5000 beneficiaries from the social register in all Local Government Areas from next week. He urged purveyors of the empty – open letter of mischief and naked dance on the internet hoping they can twist facts in Akwa Ibom bury their faces in shame.
“The latest macabre dance by the self styled group tantamount to indiscretion taken too far and should be disregarded in its entirety by the people”, Umanah noted.
Hon Umanah while commending Governor Eno for prioritizing the welfare and empowerment of youths across different structures in the state, urged architects of the open letter to erase the thoughts of discrediting the well intentioned and robust developmental Agenda of the Governor and be good ambassadors of the state by joining hands with the Governor in driving the “very ubiquitous Arise Agenda initiatives” of his administration.
