… Recognizes Academic Excellence
By Bassey Nkponam
UYO
As part of the thematics of the ARISE Agenda blueprint and in fulfilment of his campaign promises to boost and encourage entrepreneurial development drive in the State, the Akwa Ibom governor has rolled out 10,000 equipment support to over 2000 small business owners in the State under the ARISE Entrepreneurial Equipment Support Scheme(AESS).
Under the scheme, 2000 small business owners were given equipment support such as, hair dryer, cylinders, sewing machines, refrigerators, generators, welders tool box, bakery tool sets, industrial steam iron, deep freezers, vulcanizers’ pumping machines, electric drilling machines, clipper sterilizers, weaving machines, washing machines, operational vehicles(77 mini buses, and 31 brand new vehicles), in addition to the recognition of academic excellence…
Presenting the items to the recipients Tuesday, during the distribution ceremony which took place at the Uyo township stadium, the State governor, Pastor Umo Eno, said the scheme was to support Akwa Ibom people to push their businesses and by so doing, stimulate the state’s economy through Medium and Small Scale Enterprises, as it is universally acknowledged that medium and small scale enterprises are the driving forces for the creation of a thriving middle class.
“I have always said that the best legacy we hope to leave after we would have by the grace of God and by your help and support finish stewardship and in full cycle, will be the number of lives that we positively impacted through Entrepreneurial Support Scheme, humanitarian interventions and other issues that directly affect the quality of the lives of our people, while also executing big time projects. In all, I have always said the people will be our greatest legacy in government
“That passion explains why within the first few months of my inauguration, we partnered with the Bank of Industry for the first time ever in the State, to partner with us in supporting our SMEs, and went ahead to provide a matching fund of two billion naira so our entrepreneurs, especially the small scale ones could borrow at single digit interest rate and run their businesses. Let me again thank the Bank of Industry for agreeing to partner with us.
“We must continue to support the effort President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in repositioning our economy.
“As you can see, the economy is taking a turn for the best, while in the State, we have to continue by encouraging the middle class, the entrepreneurs to get money at ease, to have grants, support their businesses so that our families and our homes can continue to grow.
“This is the pldege I made to Akwa Ibom people, and as long as I remain Governor, I will continue to fulfill this pledge”.
On the selection of the recipients, Governor Eno said, “we have been transparent in the selection of our people. We come to your business location randomly in your local government area. We see your businesses and set out to support you because these equipments begin to answer your prayers and your needs.
“We will monitor your performances and our statisticians will continue to report on how we have helped scale up our small businesses.
“We are here under the ARISE Entrepreneurial Equipment Support Scheme to further support these businesses.
“This afternoon, we will continue with the drive of over 10,000 equipments to 2000 Medium and Small Scale entrepreneurs, 77 brand new mini buses to aide our transport system, 15 of which are to be given to young women that we met last Thursday at the International Women’s Day, who belongs to the Association of Female Commercial Drivers.
“I was so touched by their passion and drive for growth that I announced the donation of fifteen mini buses to help support them.
“We are also presenting 31 new cars to other beneficiaries to support them or whatever taxi they want to do.
“These all goes to support SMEs and they are all brand new vehicles. You can run them efficiently, service them and you can at least, if you service it regularly, you have four years and you can multiply. These are just seed money we are putting into your hand, and you can grow from there”.
Eno recalled that he began his business like the beneficiaries, running his hotels in Eket with five rooms without the prompt support from government, while acknowledging the pains SMEs go through, as regards finances, calling on recipients which cuts across party lines to make good use of the opportunity to change their lives.
He lauded the Ibom Leadership Entrepreneurial Development(Ibom LED)Centre, for the painstaking job they did in the course of the selection process which he noted, was transparent and cuts across party lines.
“The process was transparent, it was across party lines. So long as you are an Akwa Ibom son or daughter, nobody asked for your party affiliation, nobody asked for your party card.
“Let me commend the Ibom Leadership Entrepreneurial Development Centre
“The process was transparent, it was across party lines. So long as you are an Akwa Ibom son or daughter, nobody asked for your party affiliation, nobody asked for your party card.
“These beneficiaries are all Akwa Ibomites and none Akwa Ibomites that live and do business in Akwa Ibom State”, Eno acknowledged.
The governor expressed the hope that the recipients of the equipment support scheme will utilize the gifts to expand their businesses, and in the process, follow their lead, as the future belongs to those who dare to start small and grow big.
He thanked the commissioner, Ministry of Digital Economy for helping to bring ICT to bare in ensuring that all beneficiaries are succinctly capture succinctly.
The governor who also recognized the winner of the Academic Excellence Awards, Master Edidiong Favour Essien, who has scored 8As out of nine subjects in 2023, WACE and Exams, and rhe five brilliant Akwa Ibom students, Aniebietabasi Enobong Etukudo, Emmanuel Godfrey, Mfonobong Daniel, Favour Daniel and Marvelous Nkereuwem James, who flew the State’s banner of excellence during the Singapore Bilateral International School Debate, described them as the faces of the State’s investments in educational advancement aspect of the ARISE Agenda.
He said his administration remains dedicated to providing conducive environment for the young ones to learn and be prepared for the exciting opportunities that awaits them in the future, which is the reason government has built and was still building ultra- modern Model Primary Schools that can compare with any of such, the world over.
Eno restated the plans of government to extend the frontier of secondary school education with the planned construction of Model Secondary School, complete with science laboratories and boarding facilities in the three Senatorial Districts of the State, as the desire of government is to produce more world-class students who will continue to flag the State’s flags of excellence in educational pursuits.
Eno who noted with satisfacion, the excellent performances by Akwa Ibom sons and daughters at the tertiary levels, also celebrated Dr. Joseph Akpan of the University of Uyo who scored 10 distinctions out of 11 courses, leading to the award of an M.BBS..
“To Edidiong Favour Essien, the winner of the Academic Exellence Award who has scored 8As out of nine subjects in 2023, WACE and Exams, and rhe five brilliant Akwa Ibom students, Aniebietabasi Enobong Etukudo, Emmanuel Godfrey, Mfonobong Daniel, Favour Daniel and Marvelous Nkeruwem James, who flew our banner of excellence during the Singapore Bilateral International School debate, you are the faces of our investments in educational advancement of the “E”. We remain dedicated to providing conducive environment for our young ones to learn and be prepared for the exciting opportunities that awaits them in the future”.
“Let me at this point celebrate Dr. Joseph Akpan who scored 10 distinctions out of 11 courses, leading to the award of an MBBS at the University of Uyo.
“The academic success is totally inspirational, and we salute you. This is the Akwa Ibom spirt, always looking to extend the fronteers of excellence”.
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