Idara Jerome, Uyo
A group of Akwa Ibom residents under the aegis of the Dr. Blessed Udo-Ekpo Foundation and Governor Umo Eno 2027 & Beyond Advocates (G-10) has cited the N31 billion human-capital development initiative of the state government as one of the major reasons for its decision to support Governor Umo Eno’s re-election in 2027.
The group said the plan, which provides N1 billion for human-capital development in each of the 31 local government areas, reflects what it described as the administration’s emphasis on improving the capacity and welfare of residents rather than concentrating development in the state capital.
It also listed interventions in skills acquisition, housing, water supply, education, healthcare, agriculture and support for vulnerable citizens among the programmes that informed its decision to mobilise support for Eno.
Founder of the Dr. Blessed Udo-Ekpo Foundation, Dr. Blessed Udo-Ekpo, disclosed this on Thursday at a joint press conference with G-10 at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre, Uyo.
Represented by Mr John Achibong, the operations lead of Governor Umo Eno 2027 and Beyond Advocates (G10), Udo-Ekpo said the foundation’s support was based on its assessment of the governor’s development programmes and their similarity with the organisation’s humanitarian interventions, rather than political affiliation.
The foundation, established in 2005, has over the years awarded scholarships, provided research grants to tertiary institution students, built and donated homes to homeless families, provided water projects and sponsored vocational training and business start-ups.
According to Udo-Ekpo, the alignment between those programmes and the administration’s ARISE Agenda had become a major consideration in the group’s decision to back the governor.
He cited the construction of compassionate homes and water projects across the 31 LGAs, establishment of the Dakkada Skills Acquisition Centre and Ibom LED, as well as the construction of model schools and hospitals, as examples of programmes that resonated with the foundation’s objectives.
The group also listed the Agricultural Equipment Leasing Company, support for mechanised farming, establishment of an elderly people’s home, empowerment through minibuses, tricycles and grants, and additional financial support for National Youth Service Corps members.
Udo-Ekpo further cited the construction of more than 1,500 kilometres of roads, 1,042 housing units for civil servants, the Medical City, and the revamping of the Ibom Tropicana project as significant development initiatives under the present administration.
He said the reported N500,000 support approved for each of the 1,776 private schools in the state, alongside periodic distribution of food items to vulnerable residents, also demonstrated the administration’s attention to groups requiring direct social support.
The foundation founder said the governor’s policies on tree-crop development, payment of salaries and leave grants, as well as support for non-indigenes resident in Akwa Ibom, further strengthened the group’s position.
“I am NOT a politician. I am a private citizen. I have never held any political office, neither have I ever contested in any election,” Udo-Ekpo said, explaining that the endorsement represented the first time his foundation had publicly supported a politician.
He said G-10 was formed to bring together individuals and support groups backing the governor from different platforms, with the objective of promoting Eno and the ARISE Agenda ahead of the 2027 election.
“Since these wonderful friends are also providing support for the Governor from their respective angles, we considered that it would be better for us to come together and coalesce our support for His Excellency as a single, united front,” he said.
Udo-Ekpo said the foundation and G-10 were convinced that Eno deserved a second term, expressing the belief that continued support would enable the governor to consolidate his programmes and “continue to execute more life-touching projects” across Akwa Ibom.
