A’Ibom Gov  Seeks Partnership with Corporate Bodies to Achieve Economic Blueprint

Okon Bassey in Uyo

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Umo Eno, has sought partnerships with corporate organisations in order to actualise the ARISE Agenda blueprint of his administration, particularly in the execution of model schools, farms, markets, roads, health care facilities and other projects.

Governor Eno made the appeal when a delegation from Sterling Petrochemical and Fertilizer Limited based in the state embarked on a facility tour of the ongoing construction of CKS Model Primary School, Wellington Bassey Way, Uyo.

Conducting the delegation around the project, Eno appealed to the company to adopt the projects spelt out in the ARISE Agenda blueprint for execution, reasoning that such collaboration would fast-track development in the rural communities in the state.

According to him, “This is the management of Sterling Petro-Chemicals. They have a presentation to make to the government and members of the community where they operate in Eastern Obolo, and they are building a very large petrochemical plant in Akwa Ibom State.”

 “So we’re partnering as a government to provide the enabling environment in the community for them to do their business.

“I used this opportunity to also ask them to support the ARISE Agenda through their corporate social responsibility by adopting one of our projects in the area where they operate it’s a model school, health centre or a market-we’ll like to see them do something.

“They’ve done a lot from what I know in supporting the community. That should continue, but we’ll also like them to take a bold step and not just them, but we would start with them.

“We’ll talk with other corporate organisations. Our people must be gainfully employed, our young people, our children must be well groomed because they represent the future, and I feel that as corporate organisations come into the state, they should key into what we’re doing for their names to be written in gold.”

The governor, who acknowledged the modest contributions of the company in the development of their operational communities, was, however, emphatic that he was not soliciting funds for the projects but actual participation by the companies operating in the state in the ARISE Agenda project execution, stressing that the initiative will open doors of employment of the youths as well as grow the state economy.

“We are not putting them under pressure, we’re just appealing to them to please support us, let’s help our children, let’s help the people in those local communities, and as you all know, I’m a rural person. I want to develop the rural areas, and they are based in the rural areas of the state. So I’m just asking for a partnership that’s why we’re here,” he stated.

The Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr. Mehit, acknowledged the giant strides of the Governor Eno-led administration barely a few months of its tenure, describing the initiative as remarkable.

He said the company is committed to the realisation of the ARISE Agenda, which he said centres on development at the grassroots, assuring the governor that the company would take up one of the projects for execution to enliven the social environment in their areas of operation.

“Right now, we are doing projects in Eastern Obolo, on the Western axis and Eastern axis of Eastern Obolo, but our footprint is across the state, and we committed that we would create development here; we would create infrastructure and lift the social environment for Akwa Ibomites,” he promised.