2024 Christmas Carols Festival: AKSG Unveils ARISE Home Farmers’ Scheme

By Bassey Nkponam
UYO
The Akwa Ibom government has unveiled the ARISE Home Farmers’ Scheme (AHFS), an initiative aimed at encouraging citizens to have a farm or garden in their homes.
The scheme is adapted from the Renewed Hope Initiative of the country’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who had earlier launched “Every Home a Garden” initiative to encourage first-time female farmers to cultivate home gardens.
The State governor, Pastor Umo Eno, while unveiling the scheme, Friday, at the 2024 Christmas Carols Festival themed, “Peace and Holiness With All Men”, which took place at the amphitheatre of the Unity Park, Uyo, said the scheme is basically to encourage home farmers in line with the ARISE spirit and adapted from the Renewed Hope Initiative of the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who he recalled, had earlier launched the “Every Home a Garden” initiative to encourage first-time female farmers to cultivate home gardens.
Eno who before now, had adapted the elderly support scheme of the First Lady, where over 600 elderly citizens in the State are selected monthly and given N50,000 each in addition to some food items and multivitamins, explained that in the ARISE Home Farmers’ Scheme, 50 home farmers will be selected and given N500,000 each to boost their farms.
He stressed the need for all to have at least a garden within their homes to help stem the increasing cost of staple food and accompanying items, while also urging them to spread love especially to the less privileged around them.
The governor, who presented a cheque of N5m to one Usen Akpan Matthew for rendering volunteer service to the state, assured of better days for others who have imbibed the ARISE spirit and have volunteered their services at different areas of need.
He said in the spirit of the season, Akwa Ibom workers will be paid 13th month salary, popularly called Enomber, while bags of rice will be sent to each of the 2, 272 gazetted villages in the State to ensure a merry Christmas in every home.
According to him, the State has decided to pay N80, 000 minimum wage with effect from November 2024, while payment will commence when the ongoing verification exercise is completed to ascertain the true number of workers in the State.
Eno maintained that though labour had agreed to forego the 13th month salary for commencement of minimum wage payment, government has decided to still continue the payment in the spirit of the season.
He described the theme of the Carols festival, “Peace and Holiness with All Men” as a reflection of the season, adding that the State under his leadership had long decided to work peaceably with all men, as indicated in his leadership style of working with people across party lines.
The commissioner for culture and tourism, Sir Charles Udoh, said the 2024 Christmas Carols festival was the 17th edition, recalling that in 2010, a concert featuring 25,272 carol singers made it to the Guinness World Records, and since then, the event has consistently been improving over the years.
Udoh lauded Eno for furthering the festival which he described as the largest single gathering of Christian worshipers worldwide which remains the most longed for, and well attended Carol festival in Nigeria and beyond.
The chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Akwa Ibom State, Bishop Christian Nyong, applauded the governor for furthering on the annual Christmas Carols festival.
Nyong, who described the 2024 edition of the programme as a golden outing, also thanked the governor for not disappointing the Christian community, as he is not just a pastor by title, but more by mantle, soliciting continued prayers for Eno as he remains the best thing that has happened to the State.
Ministering on the theme of the festival, the Apostolic Overseer of Sure World Assembly, Pastor Dennis Inyang, saw the birth of Jesus Christ as an indication of God’s ability to do the impossible, noting that as the Prince of Peace that Jesus Christ is, whoever desires to pursue peace successfully, must accept Jesus Christ.
Inyang appreciated the governor for his unifying spirit, noting that God specifically sent him to enthrone peace in the State, urging all to live peaceably with all men.