Okon Bassey in Uyo
The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Umo Eno has promised professionals in the state of economic policies that would ensure poverty reduction and agricultural revolution if elected as governor.
The governorship hopeful stated this at the weekend, at a special town hall meeting held by a support group, Connect Initiative, for Eno to interface with stakeholders across professional groups in the state.
Eno stressed that his programme was committed to bridging existing gap between the poor and the rich and members of socio-cultural organisations in the state.
“I understand the language of the ordinary citizen. Poverty reduction is my foremost economic blueprint and I will do everything within my powers to take some steps to help bridge the gap between the poor and the rich,” he pledged.
He listed his economic agenda to include job creation, price stability, sustainable economic growth, improved standard of living, environmental sustainability, highly educated youths, healthy and skilled populace, safety and security.
“The rate of unemployment is growing; we need to do so much to ensure that our youths have work to do. We want to ensure they have a skill sets that would help them do the jobs available, we need to improve our standard of living by giving people the basic necessities of life,” he added.
Eno noted efforts to transform the state by successive governments, saying he would consolidate on such economic gains to expand frontiers of the state economy.
On his plans for the health sector, Eno pledged to revitalise the Primary Health Care Centers (PHCs), set up senior citizens’ health scheme, revive and upgrade existing PHCs across the state, establish a medical city and incorporate the aspect of wellness and health spas, amongst others.
“We will reassess the free maternal, newborn and child health care services for the less privilege and vulnerable people in the state to make it more sustainable
“We will make the rural areas very attractive that every doctor would want to go there. But you must stay there when you get the money.
“We will give you an incentive that you would not be able to reject. We will build rural markets, hospital and make them attractive,” he assured.
He listed areas his economic agenda would focus on to include: ensuring the safety and security of lives and property, reduction of illiteracy, provision of high standard education system, digital inclusiveness in all education and training programmes, promotion of research and development activities, quality and affordable healthcare.
He used the occasion to appeal to other contestants in the race to eschew mudslinging and other forms of character assassination in their electioneering, but to campaign in ways that would continue to promote the existing peaceful coexistence in the state.
During the interaction session, Eno said he noted the concerns of the group and promised to look into issues raised especially in areas he may not have had sufficient information.
Earlier, Chairman of the occasion, Prof Akpan Ekpo, commended the Connect Initiative for putting up the special Town hall meeting and applauded the PDP gubernatorial candidate for accepting to interact with professionals across sectors in the state.
Represented by Prof. Trenchard Ibia, Ekpo advised participants to organise themselves into sectors and sub-sectors and interact in ways that would benefit or add value to their professional groups.
