By: Uwem Offon, Uyo.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Akwa Ibom State Governor on Research and Documentation, Dr. Essien Ndueso, has revealed that the process of getting empowerment from the government is strictly through registration and validation on the State portal.
He has emphasized that while the National Identity Number (NIN) is one of the crucial means of verifying one’s nationality on the portal the Voters Identification Number (VIN) authenticates a person as a resident in the State.
Dr Ndueso who spoke during a media interview in Uyo said, ”no matter how hardworking, deserving, and enterprising one may be, he can never be entitled to Governor Umo Eno’s empowerment unless he registers through the ARISE portal.”
According to the Governor’s Aide, following the right process will ensure that only genuine indigenes and residents benefit from the schemes.
He further stressed that Gov. Eno has the good of the people at heart and he is driven by compassionate leadership style to ensure that their needs are met through his town square meetings and empowerment series across the ten Federal Constituencies in the State.
“The people remain the focus of Gov Umo Eno’s leadership, so he decided to go round, feel the pulse, and hear from them straight without third party,” he said.
Dr. Ndueso, also, explained that the purpose of these grants is to help small-scale businesses expand, which will in turn, boost the state’s economy.
He commended the Governor for his hard work and commitment to human capital development, noting that “throwing money on the streets has never led to anything, but this governor is concerned with capacity enhancement.”
Furthermore, Dr. Ndueso emphasized that Governor Umo Eno does not engage in frivolous handouts, but instead invests in individuals and small businesses to create sustainable growth, citing several skill acquisition programs in the state, including the Ibom Mentorship Development Program anchored in the old E-library building and Dakkada Skills Acquisition Program at Ikot Ada Idem, saying: “The kind of business training you have in Lagos and outside the country, that is what we have here in Akwa Ibom.”
Beyond youth and women empowerment, Dr. Ndueso also highlighted the governor’s unwavering commitment to rural development, road completion, and flood evacuation projects, stressing that the governor ensures balanced development across the state.
He added that there is no sentiment in project distribution, pointing to the governor’s Project Monitoring Team, which goes out weekly to inspect ongoing projects, ensuring that timelines and quality standards are met.
He further addressed the blaspheming content about the Governor by Professor Offiong Aqua, which in his words sells the state in a bad light.
Dr. Ndueso described his content as misleading and damaging to the state’s image, which may propagate wrong ideology to others regarding a state in progress.
