1. May the peace of the Risen Christ abide with us all! Today, we join others in the Body of Christ to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ and His triumph over death as well as the assurance of hope for eternal life.
2. Easter is a season of sacrifice, hope, and redemption. It represents love that is unconditional.
3. This season also exemplifies the concept of selfless service, as captured in Matthew 20:28: “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
4. Let me again thank you for the love you have shown us since you entrusted us with the mandate to serve you. Though the economic outlook has been somewhat uncertain, and we’ve experienced pain and anguish due to global economic challenges, just as our Lord Jesus Christ endured suffering on the Cross and rose triumphantly, we too are optimistic and assured that, collectively, we will Arise and overcome these economic challenges.
5. Thankfully, through prudent management of our resources, the fog is lifting, and the horizon is becoming clearer and more predictable.
6. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to you, my dear people, for the understanding you have displayed, the prayers you have offered, and the unwavering faith you continue to place in our capacity to work and expand opportunities for growth, aiming to realize our shared dreams and aspirations.
7. We promised to run a Christ-centric and people-oriented administration—one that places the welfare and well-being of our people at the center of our engagements. I am glad to report that we are faithfully implementing this commitment.
8. While we have embarked on numerous ambitious capital projects spanning infrastructure, healthcare delivery services, education, aviation, tourism, housing, and transport, among other key sectors; we have also, over the past 23 months, intentionally devoted ourselves to reaching out to the poorest and most vulnerable among us, giving them a reason to be hopeful, which is the essence of this season.
9. We have built over 205 Arise Compassionate Homes for the most vulnerable, provided ₦50,000 monthly, through our Arise Elderly Care Initiative to 600 elders drawn from all 369 wards in the state, and construction is ongoing at our ARISE Senior Citizens Centre.
We have enrolled over 15,000 vulnerable individuals in our Arise Care Insurance Scheme, which recently earned us a prize as a leading State in this regard. We have paid over ₦60 billion out of the ₦98 billion inherited as backlog in gratuities, enabling our retirees to enjoy peace and comfort in retirement. We have provided free food vouchers to the neediest and poorest, with the next phase set to commence soon, as well as our several youth support programmes. Additionally, we are consciously positioning our state as a destination of choice by deploying turnkey facilities such as Ibom Model Farms, the 766 Kilometers of roads being constructed across the State. Our Model Health Centres, Model Primary Schools, the composite ARISE Resort, the International Convention Centre, and Ibom Hotels amongst others are strategically undertaken to position us as the tourism hub of our nation.
10. As we mark this season of love, sacrifice, and hope, I urge you, my dear people, to be rest assured that we are working diligently to elevate our state to higher levels of growth and development by prioritizing you, our people in all our endeavors.
11. We thank God that our efforts have been recognized nationally, leading to a series of awards as Governor of the Year, by Thisday Newspaper and Arise News; Leadership Newspaper and the New Telegraph.
12. We have received accolades from the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce and Security Watch Africa, among others.
13. Let us remain hopeful, support us with your prayers, and together, we shall arise and shine, just as our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, rose three days after enduring excruciating pains and suffering for our sake.
14. Akwa Ibom is rising; our fundamentals for growth are rock-solid, and we are firmly on course for comprehensive growth and expansion.
15. As part of the celebration of our Lord Jesus Christ’s resurrection, I invite you all to join us for an Easter Evening of Hymns, scheduled to hold on Monday, 21st April 2025, at the International Christian Worship Center, Uyo (ICWC).
16. May the blessings of His death and resurrection keep you in great joy this season. Amen.
17. May this season instill in us hope, faith, love for one another, unity, and peace. Happy Easter to us all.