Town Hall Meeting: Gov Eno disburses ₦5.1b business grant

833 Akwa Ibom indigenes from Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika Federal Constituency, have been empowered with N5.1 billion ARISE Grant, earmarked for farmers and traders; Craftsmen Equipment Support and the ARISE Micro Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) Support Scheme by Governor Umo Eno.

The disbursement includes, N111 million to 178 crop, fish and livestock farmers, N176 million to 442 traders of various categories, N30 million to six Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises operators and equipment support, running into hundreds of millions to 198 craftsmen, as well as six beneficiaries of minibuses and three car beneficiaries.

Speaking at the maiden Town Hall Meeting/Empowerment ceremony at the Abak Township Stadium, on Saturday, March 8, Governor Eno identified micro, small and medium scale entrepreneurs as the engine that powers sustainable economic growth, while restating his administration’s resolve to reach out to them for empowerment and growth.

Reaffirming his commitment to leaving enduring legacies in the rural environments, the Governor commended the cooperation of the leadership of Abak Federal Constituency, for working collaboratively to produce a unified needs document.

The Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Elder Udeme Otong, leading stakeholders of Abak, Etim Ekpo and Ika Local Government Areas to make a presentation of their needs documents, called for a motion, moved by Hon. Mfon Idung and seconded by Hon. Aniekan Umanah, that Abak Federal Constituency will unanimously support Governor Umo Eno to continue in office beyond 2027 in appreciation of his goodness to the people of the area.

In their separate goodwill messages, a chieftain of the APC and Provost of Federal College of Health Sciences, Jos, Prof. Nkereuwem Etukudo; former Legal Adviser of the PDP, Emmanuel Enoidem, SAN; former Attorney General of the State, Uwemedimo Nwoko, SAN; and Itai Safe Annang, His Majesty, Okuku Awakama, as well as the immediate past deputy governor of the State, Mr. Moses Ekpo all lauded the Governor’s integrity in keeping to his promise to the electorate and assured him of continuous support of the people of Abak, Etim Ekpo and Ika.

Responding to the gesture, some of the beneficiaries, Inemesit Abraham and Semfon Dickson, expressed gratitude for the grant, describing it as a non-political and targeted empowerment programme.