The people of Urue Offong / Oruko Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State have joined the league of beneficiaries in the Governor Umo Eno led-administration’s policy thrust, A.R.I.S.E. Agenda, with the promise of establishment of a Model Primary Healthcare Centre in the area.
The State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, broke the cherry news while addressing the congregation at Methodist Church Nigeria, Eyulor Circuit Hqtrs., Diocese of Oyubia in Urue-Offong / Oruko Local Government Area where he attended a church service.
He explained that the A.R.I.S.E. Agenda blueprint of his administration which takes development to the grassroots seeks to better the lots of rural dwellers with quality infrastructure through the provision of conducive learning environment, excellent healthcare delivery systems, electricity, roads , affordable housing scheme, among others.
Governor Eno hinted that his administration is building model primary healthcare centers across the state to compliment the services provided by the secondary healthcare institutions built by the immediate past administration, explaining that Primary healthcare centers cannot be dispensed with, due to the services it renders to the people being the first port of call for medical attention for the rural dwellers.
He said that he has consulted Stakeholders of Urue Offong /Oruko and they decided on the Primary Healthcare Center as a basic need of the community along with access roads.
The Governor was however categorical on the payment of compensation, saying that the land donated won’t attract compensation since government is bringing development to the area but assured that a new structure would be erected within three months.
“We are really concentrating in the local areas. So we are building new primary schools and the kind of projects we are handling in schools is not “a change of roof kind of renovation”. We are trying to create models in those schools so that our kids will love to go to school.
“We are doing primary healthcare centres too so that we can link up to the secondary healthcare facilities that was done by the last administration. I believe someone is sick in this community now. The person will need the primary healthcare facility first before referral.
“I have discussed with the leaders here and I have been told that what we need right now apart from the road is the primary healthcare centre. So I would please ask that you show us the venue, either the one that you have that is dilapidated so that we can bring it down and put a new one or you give us a new place altogether where you want it to be cited.
“If it is a new place, we won’t pay compensation on the land because we are bringing development to you.
“The People of Ibesikpo / Asutan LGA did it last week and that project has started. If it is an old place, we will work with the authority to see how we can temporarily relocate and then in the next two or three months put up a brand new primary healthcare center for the local Government”, he stated .
On the Palliatives to cushion effects of fuel subsidy removal, Governor Eno said that he is awaiting the report of the Special Committee set up by the state government to work out modalities for the palliative distribution and informed the people that he is concerned with delivering the palliatives to the vulnerable people who have need for those items.
The State Chief Executive confirmed that the state government has taken delivery of thirty thousand bags of rice and two billion naira, being the first tranche of the five billion naira announced by the Federal government.
He informed the people that the palliatives would be delivered to designated gazetted villages through their respective Local Government Areas with names of recipients, items and quantity published for transparency and accountability.
“Talking about the palliatives, one of the things we’ll do is to adopt a method where this palliatives will get to the real people that need them.
“I don’t want to preempt the committee’s report but what we are thinking is that we should distribute it village by village so that every village will have a share. If we don’t a have better idea than that, we will adopt that so that we can send the palliatives to local government areas.
“We will tell the Village heads, Youth leaders and Women leaders, then they will go to the local Government Councils and collect their portion.
“Don’t worry about being cheated. We will publish what comes to your village. The village head or whoever is coming can not lie to you. When they go to the local government, they will collect what is due to them.
“We have decided to be very open about these things because for me, I see it as blood money. People are suffering, they make things available for them and you want to take it from them. The palliatives must not end in Uyo, it must not end in local government headquarters. It must find its way to the villages so that the villagers can benefit no matter how small”,he assured.
Speaking further, the Governor said that his worshipping at Urue Offong / Oruko was a way of appreciating the people for the support given him which saw to his emergence as governor of the state during the last general elections and particularly thanked Stakeholders and people of the area for being the first in the state to openly endorsed his candidacy for the gubernatorial elections.
He said his decision to worship in churches outside Uyo the state capital is to identify with the people using the Church as points of contact, noting that he is determined to touched the lives of the people in each of the local government areas.
He assured on the completion of Nsit Atai -Okobo road project, thanking the Church, people of the area for receiving him and his entourage to their domain.
Preaching on the topic “Repent and Live”, culled from Jeremiah 15:19 and Matt.15:14, 19-20, the Bishop of the Urue Offong-Oruko Diocese of the Methodist Church Nigeria, Rev. Victor Eyo Effiom, said the love and mercy of God is never exhausted but always available for those that repent and return to him.
The Cleric admonished all to repent from ungodliness and go to the way of God which, he stressed, is the way of life.
The State Deputy Governor, Dr Akon Eyakenyi, Secretary to the State Government Prince Enobong Uwah, Head of Civil Service Elder Effiong Essien , State PDP Chairman Hon Aniekan Akpan, House of Assembly Member for Urue Offong / Oruko Hon Precious Salong, Members of the State Executive Council , Senator for Eket Senatorial District, Barr. Sampson and other members of the National Assembly, Political Stakeholders of the area including former Deputy Governor, Amb. Etim Okpoyo , among others, worshipped with the Governor.
That’s a good one sir, thank you very much.
Also contributing, after having a health care, we seriously need factories, industries and others to also keep the people of the environ growing, it might interest you that there’s no working place in Urueoffong/Oruko as a whole exception of subsistence farming. No revenue, nothing innovative.
I’m pleading with the state government to look into giving us maybe a factory or any other working company that will employ youths of this locality.
Thank you so much Gov. Umo Bassey Eno and the state executive council.
Urueoffong/oruko are grateful.