Akwa Ibom PDP governorship candidate for this year’s election, Pastor Umo Eno has promised that if elected, his administration would encourage private initiatives, teaching and propagation of cooperative philosophy and peaceful coexistence as a bedrock for rural development.
Pastor Eno made the promise today in Uyo at the 88th Inaugural Lecture of the University of Uyo presented by a Professor of Rural Development, NseAbasi Akpan.
He noted that the topic of the inaugural lecture, "Interweaving Rural Development with Economic Diversification: An Agenda for Nigeria's 21st Century Development," was quite interesting w correlated with his economic development blueprint, the ARISE Agenda which according to him, focuses more on rural development.
The PDP governorship hopeful, a graduate of the University of Uyo and currently a PhD student of the school, said rural dwellers who are the principal target of his rural development programme, would be taught ‘how to fish instead of being given fish’ through guided efforts to execute desirable projects in their communities.
He described Professor NseAbasi Akpan as an asset to Akwa Ibom and promised to partner with and leverage his wealth of knowledge in rural development if elected into office.
Pastor Eno said to ensure improved and sustainable rural development, his administration would religiously pursue and implement a policy framework that maximizes the incomes of rural dwellers.
He also promised to encourage and strengthen cooperative and community-based initiatives in the formulation and management of rural development programmes through the establishment of community and micro-finance banks in rural areas.
According to him, a greater percentage of Nigeria’s population lives in rural areas and most of them are engaged in agriculture, hence if the country must make the rural areas attractive, meaningful effort geared towards sustainable rural development must be aggressively and vigorously pursued.
Pastor Eno said when elected, his administration would make efforts to include the provision of modern infrastructure, primary health care, employment opportunities, recreational facilities, quality compulsory education, loans and other incentives, as part of rural development.
He said his rural development achievement would be measured in the areas of infrastructure, roads, water supply, housing, electricity, the building of model communities, access to quality education, improved healthcare delivery and availability of food and agricultural products for the rural settlers.
