Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has reiterated his commitment to continue working with youths who show capacity and are hard working noting that the period of handouts are over.
Governor Eno who made this known during an unscheduled inspection of the ARISE Senior Citizens Home at Itak Ikono and the Ewet Luxury Estate, Uyo, noted that capacity must come before empowerment.
The Governor who expressed the desire to empower hard working youths who show capacity to carry out tasks entrusted to them, encouraged the youth to leverage on the various opportunities available in the state.
“This is my idea of young persons working really hard to show their capacity to deliver. I keep challenging our young people that, if you show me capacity, we will empower you. “You must rise to the occasion. Capacity should come before empowerment; empowerment does not come before capacity.”
Speaking at the ARISE Citizens Centre Itak,a which is part of the Ibom Medical corridor between the Ibom Specialty Hospital and the Four Points by Sheraton Ikot Ekpene, Governor Eno expressed satisfaction at the level of work done within five months of commencement.
The Governor while acknowledging that he has no doubt that the contractor will meet up with the delivery deadline, commended the contractor and the delivery advisor for not sparing any effort in interpreting his vision within the time frame.
On the Centre, the Governor said it “is one of the facilities that we want to have here along the Medical Corridor situated between the Four Points by Sheraton and the State Specialist Hospital. And, the people involved have so far delivered to my satisfaction.””You can see the quality of work, and I’m impressed. I want to thank the Delivery Advisor and the contractor for a job well done so far. They are diligent, committed, and have shown excellence in what they are doing here.”
In her remarks, the Project Delivery Advisor, Dr. Itawan James, appreciated the Governor for giving her and her team the opportunity to bring the vision to reality, taste and satisfaction.Dr. James disclosed that the project will be delivered to run its programmes and activities by September this year, adding that the necessary legal frameworks that would facilitate the take off of the centre are happening behind the scene and expressed optimism that the centre will be operational within the time frame envisaged.
“I want to first of all thank the Governor for this project and making it to come to pass. We are going to complete it before September and we will have it running.”All the things that need to be done like the logistics, policies and legal frame works are happening behind the scene. We will have this frameworks in place by the time this centre is commissioned to actually operate this facility.”
Recall that Dr. James had, during the foundation laying ceremony by the Governor in January this year, stated that the facility was not just a structure but an architectural masterpiece with befitting medical, recreational and other facilities that will not only delight the senior citizens but enable them age gracefully.
The Governor also took a detour to inspect the progress of work at Ewet Luxury Estate, at Ewet Offot Uyo, where he walked round the facility and made valuable inputs on the project’s execution.The estate, consisting of 35 residential units of 5 bedroom fully detached duplex each, replaces the timber market on Uruan Street.
