Gov. Eno and the Less Privileged

By Anietie Usen

Early in the life of Governor Umo Eno Administration, more than three years ago, I wrote a story titled: Governorunusually. It was a simple but intriguing story of the new Governor of Akwa Ibom State, who was defying protocols and security do-and-don’ts, to reach out impromptu habitually to the less privileged on the streets.

I remember another story I also wrote in the very early days of the Administration titled: The Convoy of Compassion. Still, I can’t forget another story that I wrote during the second year anniversary of Governor Eno, which was titled: Compassion As A Law.

For many, there are several standout sectors in the Administration of Governor Eno. The audacious investments in tourism, which cut across Aviation, Health, Housing, Security, ICT and Environment infrastructures are there for everyone to see. The deliberate investments in Education, the promotion of peaceful coexistence and aggressive rural development have touched so many lives and made the difference.

But for me and so many others, one defining and very unique aspect of the leadership of Governor Eno is humanitarian services, the genuine, heartfelt sympathy, empathy, identification with and care for the half-nots.

“Sir, God sent me here as Governor for the long neglected poor people in this State and not for you big men, who have already made it”, Governor Eno once told me point blank, inside his office duringtheearly daysofhis Administration. There was no pretence about it whatsoever. And since then, it has been forward ever and backward never in compassion for the long neglected rural people across the State.

I have been in the same trip with the Governor several times when he would suddenly bring the convoy to a stop, just to buy roasted corn and pears he did not really need from rural roadside traders in their makeshift stalls. The motivation has always been to put a smile on their faces with envelopes of money to boost their micro businesses. No politics!

I was there one Sunday afternoon in Itu, when he stopped his convoy to pick up a sick, old greyhair woman, leaning heavily on a walking stick and could barely walk. Straight to the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, that woman recovered fully in a matter of weeks with the Governor visiting her and assigning his personal physician to monitor her recovery. That was two years ago. No politics!

Behind practically every plan, project and programme of the government under Governor Eno is usually the consideration of: “what is in it for the jobless, the helpless and those who have nobody in government or high places”. Every contractor in Akwa Ibom under Governor Eno is required and mandated to factor into their CSR direct and indirect labour employment in their area of operations. This is the truth. These are facts. They speak volumes about intentional leadership. No politics!

According to Idorenyin Emah, the Principal Assistant Registrar of Clifford University, Abia State, who had known Governor Eno closely long before he became Governor, the track record of compassion and humanitarian services by Governor Eno are deeply rooted in the Governor’s personal philosophy, pre-dating his time in political office.

“No be today”, Emah said colloquially in Nigerian English. “His empathy with the less privileged is beyond politics. Long before his election, as a private businessman, community leader, and founder of the All Nations Christian Ministry, he routinely sponsored the education of less privileged youths, provided free medical interventions in his Church, and supplied small-business startup packs to rural women”, Emah, who is also a Ph.D student in the University of Uyo, added.

On taking office on May 29, 2023, Governor Eno systematically institutionalized his personal empathy for the weak into a structured, state-wide social welfare frameworks under his well known governance blueprint, the ARISE Agenda, in the following categories:

1. Housing for the Homeless known as ARISE Compassionate Homes:
   To address the substandard living conditions of the state’s most vulnerable populations, Governor Eno launched the ARISE Compassionate Homes Initiative in March 2024, just months after he took office. Targeted to construct and fully furnish 400 two-bedroom bungalows across all 368 wards of Akwa Ibom State. Every house is provided completely free of charge to selected widows, elderly people, and destitute families. To ensure long-term sustainability, each home is equipped with a 24-hour solar power system, an independent water supply, and an external kitchen. So far, 354 units have already been built and successfully handed over to beneficiaries and Governor Eno is higher than his initial target.
2. Eliminating Hunger – The Free Food Distribution System:
   Amidst soaring inflation and national economic difficulties, Governor Eno moved swiftly to prevent severe food insecurity, way back in March 2024, months into his . As of July 2026, a total of 876,000 households across the 31 LGAs have been reached and fed with staple food including rice and beans.

To back up the free food distribution programme, Governor Eno set up the Bulk Purchase Agency, BPA, a specialized agency to purchase staple foods directly from source markets. Using the State’s Social Register to guarantee political neutrality, the Administration has, for the third year now,constantly distributed essential food items—such as rice, beans, and garri—directly to poor families at no cost.

The fourth phase, currently ongoing, targets the seamless distribution of 217,000 bags of food to households in over 2,272 villages. Said Uko Umoh, Chairman of Etinan LGA: “The Free Food Distribution has taken a whole lot of
burden from many rural families here in Etinan. Our job is to make sure the real vulnerable people in our villages, especially the elderly, the sick and people living with disabilities”.

A beneficiary, Magdalene Peter Udo, an aged woman in her 70s added her voice on how the programme has touched her household: “I pray for God’s grace and more blessings upon our dear Governor who has forgotten low people like us. Now we in this village have also enjoyed this Governor and his government”.

3. Financial Inclusivity and Cash Support
   The administration actively coordinates economic relief through direct financial injections to stabilize lower-income families. This include: Conditional Cash Transfers: In collaboration with federal initiatives, the state facilitates the Renewed Hope Conditional Cash Transfer Programme, deploying debit cards loaded with ₦75,000 to tens of thousands of registered vulnerable citizens. Elderly Citizens Stipend: Under the ARISE Initiative for the Elderly, kicked off in January 2024; thousands of senior citizens over the age of 65 receive a consistent monthly cash stipend of ₦50,000 alongside targeted social support.

The “One Project Per LGA” Model:
It was initiated on November 8, 2023, five months into the Administration, very remote from re-election politics.bInfrastructure contracts are deliberately awarded to local, indigent contractors. They .are required to employ neighborhood youths, instantly stimulating local micro-economies and increasing household purchasing power.

4. Healthcare Expansion and Financial Protection
   Recognizing that a medical emergency can plunge an impoverished family into deep financial ruin, Governor Eno prioritized accessible rural healthcare, in the following ways:

Health Insurance Agency (AKSHIA): The administration established the [Akwa Ibom State Health Insurance to enroll vulnerable individuals, the elderly, and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs). This eliminates out-of-pocket medical costs for critical treatments.

Free Medical Outreaches: The government routinely funds large-scale, field-based medical camps providing free surgeries, consultations, and medications directly inside remote rural communities.

5. Welfare and Educational Grants for Marginalized Groups This programme started on June 28, 2023, barely a month into the Administration of Governor Eno. His model of governance, from Day One, placed special emphasis on minority and highly marginalized demographics to restore human dignity.

Support for Persons with Disabilities: Special financial education allowances and dedicated academic grants have been disbursed to hundreds of students living with disabilities across the state, as demonstrated in various educational programmes:

Empowering Vulnerable Women: Over 2,000 female youths, widows, and rural women have received direct entrepreneurial training coupled with business tooling grants ranging from ₦250,000 to millions of Naira to foster independent self-sustenance.

Social Inclusion: The governor has expanded structural support and championed public advocacy for heavily stigmatized groups, notably funding inclusion programs for persons living with albinism.

6. Civil Service and Labor Welfare
   To ensure that macroeconomic hardship does not dilute the productivity of state workers, Governor Eno implemented aggressive welfare adjustments.

Gratuity Disbursements: The administration has released over ₦20 billion to clear historically backlogged gratuities for retired state civil servants, primary school teachers, and local government workers.

Financial Cushions: He instituted a “13th-month” salary bonus alongside consistent, supplementary cost-of-living allowances paid directly to civil servants during peak inflationary periods.

Without a doubt, Governor Eno’s tenure is defined not by rhetoric but by a persistent, personal compassion that has been systematically translated into policy, action and rewarding outcomes for the majority, who truly appreciate his tenure as the golden era of Akwa Ibom governance.

This is far from party politics but rooted in a lifelong commitment to the less privileged and their well-being.

Said Dr. Ekpenyong Eta, a public policy analyst and lecturer in the Accounting Department of the University of Uyo: “The personal commitment of Governor Eno to the wellbeing of the less privileged has metamorphosed into a governance philosophy that consciously seeks to restore dignity and opportunity to the State’s most marginalized citizens, leaving in its trail a tangible humanitarian legacy that redefines public service”.

*Anietie writes from Uyo