Beneficiaries .
By Osondu Ahirika
Let us read Psalm 123 verse 2.
”As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes are on the LORD our God until He shows us mercy.”
Folks, that’s the way it is.
Former Governor Ayo Fayose coined the term, ‘Stomach Infrastructure’.
His byword for human empowerment and capacity building.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has added to the term.
Defining it as, ‘Sending prayers to your mailboxes.’
Aha! You gerrit!
The eyes of the masses have been on their Governor.
Like the servants’ expectation look to the hands of their master.
‘To show them joy’, as we say.
For Akwa Ibom State.
Joy has come.
Elegantly adorned as the ‘Happy Hour’!
A promise fulfilled.
Governor Umo Eno became a ‘rainmaker’.
Sending showers of blessing and spreading love to his people.
A whopping N550 Million in what was aptly tagged:
‘Arise Happy Hour Night of Rewards.’
Entrepreneurs, female youths, farmers, artisans, civil servants, and sportsmen were pencilled for rewards.
Fifty persons got a total of N25 million as winners of the ARISE Home Farms Contest.
Emerging from the upload of their home gardens in heed of Governor Umo Eno’s charge that all go back to farming.
Winners smile home with N500, 000 as seed money for more farm work.
Four hundred female youths got N300 million as a grant under the Entrepreneurship Accelerator Programme.
Each walked away with N750, 000.
Winners of the 2023 Governors Cup Football tournament carted home N20 million prize money.
The sum of N155 million prize money was doled out to 31 Local Government Areas that participated in the 2024 Christmas Unplugged cultural display competition.
While 32 Civil servants who were distinguished in their performance received N32 million.
The night was highlighted by spontaneous on-the-spot cash awards and car gifts.
All these kindness flowing from the heart of a Governor some have labelled as, ‘stingy’.
Contrary to this tag, Governor Umo Eno keeps giving and giving.
*Enomber
*150 Units to Raffle winners in the Grace Estate.
* N2 billion grant to Akwa Ibom traders.
* First of its kind Wardrobe allowance for School teachers.
* Free Food vouchers across the State.
* Arise Compassionate Homes targeting 400 beneficiaries in his first term.
*One million each as training grants to all Resident Doctors in the State.
* 200 million grant each to Arewa, Igbo, Yoruba and Niger Delta Communities.
*How about intentional care for the elderly?
Countless behind-the-scenes charitable gestures Governor Umo Eno has been known for.
Methinks, his words captured the essence of the night.
Hear him.
“We are here to celebrate Akwa Ibomites. We are here to celebrate you who have decided to arise to our call that everyone can…”
Add whatever is good, industrious, enterprising, visionary, and productive to the CAN DO SPIRIT.
More importantly, the selection of beneficiaries was done transparently.
No lobbying or favouritism.
My Take is, that this has been a Showers of blessing.
It is raining testimonies across the State and we’re just getting started.
It’s a Gloden Era.
Governor Umo Eno will MAGA!
MAKE AKWA IBOM GREAT AGAIN.
Apologies to POTUS Trump.
Ahirika is Head of Media and Advocacy Unit, Ethical and Attitudinal Reorientation Commission (EARCOM), Akwa Ibom State.
