Succour Underway In A’Ibom Over Economic Hardship, Says Eno’s Spokesman

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Succour Underway In A’Ibom Over Economic Hardship, Says Eno’s Spokesman

By SAMUEL AKPAN

Governor Umo Eno has assured residents of Akwa Ibom State that he is not resting on his oars from ensuring that the people get succor from the present economic challenges ravaging the Country.

Nigerians, including Akwa Ibomites have been subjected to an unprecedented wave of suffering which includes the recent hike in the price of petrol, otherwise known as premium motor spirit PMS. In Uyo, the State capital.

Residents now buy fuel between N1,200 and N1,500 per liter depending on where it was purchased. This singular act, despite the promises of Dangote Refinery churning out the product in large quantities has caused spiral inflation, shooting up the cost of local transportation and foodstuff across the State.

The governor’s chief press secretary (CPS), Ekerete Udoh, in an exclusive interview with The Southern Examiner said his principal has already set up a petroleum monitoring task force under the chairmanship of Victor Etefia to check the sharp practices in the sector.

According to him, “even though the current hyke in petroleum prices is not peculiar to the State, the task force set up by the governor has since commenced operations and will soon come up with clear results of what it has achieved, especially in dealing with those engaging in extra profiteering at the expense of the people”.

He explained that the CNG buses which have been planned to be used to augment easy transportation within the State can not be activated now because of the non availability of gas refill stations within the State, adding that efforts are however on to ensure there are more CNG refill stations in the state before the CNG buses can be activated.

On the poor state of the equipment for the State Fire Service department, which many have criticized, Ekerete hinted that the department will soon get state of the art equipment and fire fighting vehicles just as the governor has done in the health sector by providing many modern ambulances.

He assured that because Eno is very concerned with safety measures having served as a contractor in the oil and gas sector for many years, he was determined to bring a change to the current situation, explaining that to justify this, a Senior Special Assistant on Safety measures was appointed by the governor to oversee safety issues in the state.

In defending the recent lamentations by residents of Uyo, Eket and Ikot Ekpene over the neglect of many internal roads, the CPS assured that the bad roads will soon be fixed as his boss has already declared zero potholes during the last state special monthly prayer session at the government house.

The Agency responsible for maintaining internal roads, Akwa Ibom State Roads and Other Infrastructure Maintenance Agency (AKROIMA), has also been given the matching order, he enthused.

It would be recalled that during the heat of the 2023 governorship campaign, Pastor Eno had promised that he would declare every Friday as happy hour day. Many had wondered why it has taken the governor so long to set up the machinery of how the happy hour will be celebrated in the state.

Some groups have even set up various committees in all the 31 local government areas of the state to champion the happy hour and also printing t-shirts and face caps for their potential members.

But in responding to this agitation by some people, the governor’s chief spokesman said many people had misconstrued Pastor Eno on the concept.

In his words, “happy hour is a moment for people to work hard and having a sense of contentment in their minds that they’ve given their best shorts and have had some redeeming value in the course of what they are saddled with, thereafter find time to rest their heads and relax with their friends and loved ones”.

Ekerete concluded that Akwa Ibom people have now understood the real meaning of ‘Happy Hour’ because they are very industrious, having internalized the virtue of hard work, earn money genuinely, assist their fellow human beings and enjoy themselves by relaxing well thereafter.

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