By Jeremiah Edoho
Governor Umo Eno’s sterling, earnest and conscientious leadership is undisputable. His quest for the transfer of entrepreneurship spirit to the youth of Akwa Ibom State is obvious to even the opposition elements.
The Governor has within the past 18 months shown to the world that governance can humanise politics by building bridges of harmonious and peaceful co-existence and sustainable initiatives aimed at empowering youths across the 31 Local Government Areas of the state.
It is salient, therefore, to admit that policies and programmes initiated by his administration have conspicuously penetrated the rural areas. This conclusion can be unarguably attested to by the glaring testament from hundreds of youths who have been significantly impacted in terms of job opportunity, human capacity building and entrepreneurial advancement in line with his ARISE Agenda blueprint.
Showcasing his imbued impressive leadership characteristics, immediately after taking the oath of office on Monday, May 29, 2023, as the fifth democratically-elected Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Eno assured the world that he will be Governor for all Akwa Ibom people, irrespective of party affiliations. And truly, he has been nothing but a God-sent leader whose burning desire for human capacity development has pleased God and man.
In his words; “I ask you to A.R.I.S.E with us and let’s usher in the Golden Era for our dear state and our people. Elections are over and our kindred spirit must be renewed and deepened. I call on our people to come together and let’s build a state where the pain of one Akwa Ibomite is the pain of all and where the success of one Akwa Ibomite is the success for al.”
While some perceived in him the beginning of fresh air for a better Akwa Ibom, some took the Governor’s speech as mere political assertion from the usually conventional politician.
But Eno’s inclination to practically develop the state got the massive crowd of dignitaries, supporters, party faithful and entire youth structure who had converged at the Nest of Champions on the swearing-in day amazed and optimistic for a more prosperous, peaceful, safe and united Akwa Ibom, based on his obvious impeccable leadership trait as a celebrated cleric and businessman.
In this article, I will summarize how the Governor has exhibited undisputed sterling leadership and genuine love in empowering Akwa Ibom youth in accordance with his ARISE Agenda, using the four major areas below:
*Entrepreneurial and Skill Development*
*Promoting Youth Leadership and Engagement in Governance*
*Job Creation and Peaceful Co-existence*
*Gender Inclusivity.*
*Entrepreneurial and Skill Development*:
As a passionate and innovative leader, Eno has ensured that youth are trained to acquire specialized skills, empowered with starter-packs, grants and serene environment provided for them to stand out efficiently as young entrepreneurs. He has done this through the Ibom Leadership and Entrepreneurial Development Centre (Ibom-LED), an Initiative of the State Government, set up in 2023 to train, develop and empower Akwa Ibomites in leadership and entrepreneurial skills.
The Governor kick started these initiatives with a donation of N250 million for the training of the first batch of 400 participants. The Ibom-LED initiative has afforded Akwa Ibomites comprehensive training programmes such as the Entrepreneurship Accelerator Programme (EAP), Business Mastery Programme (BMP), and Business Leadership and Entrepreneurship Programme (BLEP) aimed at supporting and nurturing entrepreneurs.
Following the positive impact recorded in the first phase, Eno announced another disbursement of business support grants of ₦500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) to 800 trainees after completion of training with their business outlets across the state branded. Today, Ibom-LED initiative is acknowledged as one of the remarkable steps taken by the Governor to achieve his goal of developing and empowering Akwa Ibom youths.
*Promoting Youth Leadership and Engagement:*
An ancient philosopher, Aristotle, in one of his books, postulated that the role of a leader is to create the environment in which all members of an organization have the opportunity to realize their own potential. This assertion by Aristotle captures lack of skills’ training, scarce facilities and resources as some of the major challenges young people encounter while daring to excel in their specific areas of creativity.
But Eno saw the need to fix the gap through participation of youth as a must to achieve his vision and goals of prosperity, peace and security. This, he has clearly demonstrated by appointing one youth per ward, across the 31 Local Government Areas (LGAs), as his Personal Assistant. This decision by this God-sent leader has strengthened the bond of unity, coordination and confidence of youth in politics and governance, making government closer to the people in the rural areas.
Another significant benefit of youth engagement in leadership participation was played out during the distribution of food under the ARISE Food Security Programme. It was observed that ward PAs, in collaboration with stakeholders, were constantly working with the Bulk Purchase Agency, to ensure beneficiaries, captured in the social register in each of the LGAs across the state, received either a 5kg bag of rice, garri or beans. This cumbersome process of capturing, however, revealed the vital role played by the youths.
*Job Creation and Peaceful Coexistence:*
Truth be told, the Governor has shown unwavering commitment and rare capacity to ensure smooth running of governance and job creation despite undue distractions. His apolitical approach of unifying the state into one big socio-economic hub and to ensure the state maintains its current status on the global map as one of the most peaceful and safe in the country is mesmerizing.
Eno, an icon of strategic development whom we all know is not ready to give any room for breakdown or law and order, had on November 26, 2024, on the floor of the State House of Assembly, while presenting the ₦955 billion Budget Estimates for the year 2025, informed members of the Assembly that his government has proscribed the Ibom Youth Council, whose activities were seen as threat to law and order.
To concretize his agenda for the youth structure, he launched the Security Trust Fund and established the Ibom Community Watch.
In another laudable approach to enhance security and guarantee the safety of lives and property, the Governor announced the employment of 6,000 Akwa Ibom youth into the Ibom Community Watch while an additional 10,000 youth will receive 50,000 Naira monthly, starting next month until permanent job opportunities can be secured for them. This is a consciously orchestrated roadmap of hope for Akwa Ibom youths.
Eno is passionately working round the clock to ensure his campaign promises and beautiful packages for Akwa Ibom people are diligently fulfilled and received by all, irrespective of partly lines.
*Gender Inclusivity, Equality and Equity:*
Gender inequality, such as sexual violence and discrimination in public office, persists everywhere and stagnates social progress. But, the Eno-led government considers promoting gender equality critical to all areas of a healthy society, from reducing poverty to promoting the health, education, protection and the well-being of both genders. He has done this well by creating more leadership positions for women in their various local government areas.
Take for instance, the recently-conducted local government election.The election was a manifest and bold display and commitment of the Governor to advance gender equity. He facilitated the emergence of five elected female local government chairmen, 30 vice chairmen and more than 110 female councillors. To double his efforts, he has engaged women coordinators across the 31 LGAs to participate in politics to drive the gender-inclusive structure of his ARISE Agenda. This particular action has earned him wide commendations and accolades within and outside the state.
Few months ago, the Governor’s dedication and efforts to promote gender inclusivity and empowerment across Akwa Ibom got him honoured as the Most Gender-Friendly Governor of the Year 2024 at the Supreme Special Recognition Awards (SUSRA) at Golden Gate Restaurant in Ikoyi, Lagos.
If Eno could get all these done within his first one year and 7 months in office, it is predictable what would be achieved in the remaining six years and few months.
Truly, the Governor’s sterling leadership and genuine love for Akwa Ibom youth cannot be disputed and, must be supported, encouraged and sustained by all of us for a better Akwa Ibom of our dream.
*_Jeremiah Edoho is a Personal Assistant to the Governor on New Media, donjerry171@gmail.com_*
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