DR WISDOM ENANG EXTOLS GOV. UMO ENO’S PLAN TO EMPOWER 100,000 AKWA IBOM YOUTHS, FELICITATES A’IBOM AT 37, SUES FOR VALUE REORIENTATION AMONG YOUTHS
*** Hails the conversion of N2 billion traders’ loan to grant
SAMPSON ENYONGEKERE, UYO
A caucus member and stalwart of the Peoples Democratic Party in Essien Udim Local Government Area (LGA), Engr. Dr. Wisdom Patrick Enang, has hailed as people-centric, thoughtful and compassionate, the recently unveiled plan by the Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Bassey Eno, to empower 100,000 Akwa Ibom youths, in appreciation of their non-participatory stance during the last national protest in Nigeria.
Dr. Enang gave the applause on Friday, September 20, while engaging newsmen in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.
In his opening remarks, the Adjunct Professor of the North Dakota University (USA) commended Gov. Umo Eno for the directive mandating the creation of a database to facilitate the employment of qualified Akwa Ibom Youths, even as he affirmed that such was in tandem with what is obtained in more developed climes, and will aid in policy design and development planning.
The astute scholar of no mean repute further commended the governor for his soul-lifting plans to provide business support schemes of N50,000 each to 60,000 youths over a 12 months period (5000 youths monthly), noting that this will greatly reduce youth unemployment if well utilized by the beneficiaries.
The Ethical and Attitudinal Reorientation Czar equally hailed the planned support of numerous Akwa Ibom youths through the ARISE Entrepreneurial Scheme, an empowerment initiative designed on the basis of a thoroughly conducted needs assessment, to support Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
Speaking further, the indefatigable go-getter also lauded Gov. Eno’s plans to employ 3000 youths across 30 LGAs (100 youths per LGA, excluding Uyo LGA which already has 500 youths) in the Ibom Community Watch program for crowd control and complimentary intelligence gathering at the grassroot level, describing it as the right step, in the right direction.
While reiterating Gov. Eno’s commitment towards youth development and inclusion in governance, the Akwa Ibom born, British trained Chartered Engineer also applauded the governor for implementing a fully renumerated training program at the various Dakkada Skills Acquisition Training Centers (DASAC) for 1000 participants across 31 LGAs, with a monthly transport allowance of N20,000 per participant throughout the duration of training.
He also gratefully acknowledged the governor’s directive authorizing the increment of bursary for students in public tertiary institutions from N10,000 to N30,000 for postgraduates and for undergraduates studying professional courses like Law, Medicine, Engineering, Agriculture etc., and from N10,000 to N20,000 for all other undergraduate students.
“The governor’s directive authorizing bursary increase for 20,000 students, for the 2024/2025 academic session is a welcome development which takes into cognizance the economic realities of Nigeria today, in addition to greatly complementing the state’s free and compulsory education policy.”
“Another noteworthy and sublime student-focused policy from Gov. Eno is the education grant for 1000 public tertiary institution students living with disabilities, which currently stands at N250,000 for undergraduates, and N300,000 for professional and postgraduate students.”
Expatiating further, the renowned and widely respected economic and public affairs analyst also lauded the unveiled Ibom-LED Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program which has already provided business incubation for 5,000 youths, with further plans within the remaining part of year 2024 and 2025 to empower 2,000 youths, each with N500,000 grant and N250,000 startup capital, as well as plans to empower another 3,000 youths within the Akwa Ibom agricultural economic value-chain.
The youth enthusiast, who is widely known and respected for his massive and sustained advocacy for the adoption of a value-driven approach to leadership and governance equally lauded Gov. Umo Bassey Eno for donating N20 million and a Coaster bus to the state’s owned female football team, Ibom Angels, following their recent promotion from second division to first division in the Nigerian Women Football League.
In that same vein, the multiple excellence award winner described as thoughtful, proactive and visionary, the recent unbundling of the State Ministry of Youths and Sports Development into separate entities, which according to him, will further amplify youth inclusiveness in state governance, in addition to engendering optimal policy outcomes from Gov. Eno’s ARISE Agenda.
While gratefully eulogizing Gov. Umo Eno for fulfilling his promises to Akwa Ibom Youths, Dr. Enang noted that the governor has undoubtedly established his name in gold as a caring and people-centric leader who can be trusted anytime, any day.
To further buttress his point, Dr. Enang established an empirically-based logical connection between bad leadership and recalcitrant attitude in youths, especially when trust is breached and the value and reward system is skewed, thus reaffirming the already widely accepted notion that Gov. Eno has redefined governance such that trust, knowledge, hard work, value, attitude and honesty are the prime determinants of the new governance system.
“In order to harness maximum value from the ARISE Agenda and attract goodwill from the state government, Akwa Ibom youths must reorient their value system and remain visionary, hardworking, proactive, well-behaved, diligent, studious, focused, Godfearing, and obedient to constituted authorities.”
While reiterating the dictum, “to whom much is given, much is expected”, Dr. Wisdom Enang urged Akwa Ibom youths not to betray the confidence reposed in them by the government of the day in the state, but to live perpetually to its expectations, as doing this will certainly sustain the harmonious nexus already established between the youths and the state government.
He also condemned the spate of idleness among youths in Nigeria today, explaining that only a symbiotically nurtured relationship between the youths and the government can engender optimal human capacity development and youth inclusiveness in governance.
The Fellow of both the Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE) and the Nigerian Institution of Safety Engineers (FNISafetyE) also commended the state helmsman for converting the N2 billion traders’ loan to grant, describing the compassionate move as one that was perhaps occasioned by the subsisting harsh economic realities in Nigeria, which has adversely affected the survival and bankability of businesses.
“Gov. Eno has undoubtedly shown that leadership goes far beyond the mere occupation of a position of power and authority through his proactive, timely, people-focused and results-oriented policy actions which are effectively ameliorating the plights of the Akwa Ibom people, leaving them better with each day passing.”
In his concluding remarks, Dr. Enang implored Akwa Ibom traders who will access the business support grant, to not squander it in riotous and extravagant living, but to shrewdly leverage same to achieve optimal business expansion and profits.
“By doing so, our selfless state leader will be buoyed to do more in this regard, so that other traders who were unable to access the grant at the first stage, can be considered in subsequent phases.”
The Chairman, Board of Trustees of the BBC-praised and succor-giving “Sarah Enang Humanitarian Foundation” equally leveraged the opportunity to rejoice with Gov. Umo Eno, and congratulate Akwa Ibom State on her 37th Anniversary as a state, expressing optimism that with the spate of development witnessed so far, Akwa Ibom will continually be respected for value, human capital development, sociopolitical stability, economic growth and economic development, among the comity of states in Nigeria.
