For the umpteenth time, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno has appreciated Akwa Ibom youths and the entire citizenry for heeding the call to maintain peace amidst ongoing nationwide protest to end bad governance.
The Governor disclosed plans to fete over 7000 youths in the state on a thank you rally as well as float a social welfare programme for about 5000 youths.
Governor Eno made these known during the first Sunday special worship service for August 2024, at All Nations Christian Ministry International, Eket Local Government Area.
The rally, according to the Governor, will be participated by 200 youths from each of the 31 Local Government Areas with 100 youths drawn from the Associations of Non- Indigenes residing in the State and a monthly empowerment of five thousand youths across all the LGAs.
He noted that the planned rally, beyond affording him the opportunity to celebrate the youths, will be used to unveile the empowerment plans for the youths and residents of the State to affirm the fact that citizens can get the government to meet their needs without necessarily resorting to confrontation or violence.
The Governor who described the decision of the youths not to embark on a protest as laudable, noted that their action to give peace a chance has accorded the State an honour in the comity of states in the country.
He added that the youths have further laden him with a weightier responsibility by such exhibition of responsible followership.
“I am very thankful to Akwa Ibom youths. You didn’t protest, but I heard you louder than those that protested. What you have done is to energize us some more. The responsibility you have placed on our shoulders is far more, because if there is a leadership, there should be followership and you have just exhibited that followership.
“That you listened to our plea, you have just said to us, we appreciate what you are doing, do some more. I have gotten the message and we are going to put in everything. We have gone back to the drawing board and I am meeting with all the youth leadership in the State tomorrow.
I can tell you that very soon, we are going to have a date for a thank you rally for our young people. It is not just going to be a rally, we will use the occasion to tell you what we plan for our young people, how we are going to support five thousand youths across this State.
“Each Local Government will have 200 representatives. You will come and sit according to your Local Government, 31 of you, and that will be 6, 200 including our other communities, the Arewa, Housa, Igbo Community and the Niger Delta Community. Each of those communities will come with hundred (100) youths.
If there was protest, they would have destroyed things, we would have used money to repair those things. But since you heeded to our appeal, it is good to appreciate you. You have made our State proud in the comity of States in this country,” he stated.
The Governor reassured on channelling the resources that would have been used in fixing damaged facilities and treatment of victims of the protest to bettering the lives of the youths in the state and to further his administration’s pursuit of positive developments in fulfillment of the ARISE Agenda.
Governor Eno who delivered a sermon on “Confronting Satanic Opposition,” culled from Nehemiah 4:1-8 and 2 Timothy 3:-1-9, followed an earlier scriptural reading from his wife, Pastor Mrs. Patience Eno.
Expounding on the scriptures, Pastor Umo Eno identified the weapons of satanic opposition to include fear, mockery, insult and discouragement, admonishing the congregation to confront the weapons head long with confidence in the word of God and faith.
