…As Eket Senatorial District Women Holds 2024 New Year Thanksgiving Service and Empowerment
The wife of the Akwa Ibom Governor, Pastor Patience Umo Eno has called on women to embrace entrepreneurship and skills development, adding that she was a seamstress before becoming a Governor’s wife.
The first lady made the call at Eket Local Government Council Secretariat during the Eket Senatorial District Women’s New Year thanksgiving service and empowerment.
“Aside from being a Governor’s wife, I am a seamstress, you call it fashion designer now. My Father gave me my sewing machine when I married 33 years ago and it is still in my workshop”, said the first lady.
Pastor Eno lauded the District’s women for the initiative of constructing a Women Development and Skill Acquisition Center, saying that it will foster the development of women.
Earlier in her speech at the occasion, the President of the Eket Senatorial District Women Forum, Mrs. Idara Ephraim Akpan thanked the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno and Wife for their love towards women in the State and the Senatorial District in particular.
Mrs. Akpan named some of the achievements of the forum to include the empowerment of women of the Senatorial District with not fewer than 300 sewing machines, 115 cassava processing machines, 182 grinding machines.
Others include 91 hair dryers, 121 makeover kits, 15 generating sets, 34 computers, business start ups, grants, among others.
Goodwill messages and donations for the Women Development and Skill Acquisition Center named after the wife of the immediate past Governor, Dr. Mrs. Martha Udom Emmanuel, were received from prominent sons and daughters of the area including the Deputy Governor, Her Excellency, Senator Akon Eyakenyi who donated 5 million naira, Senator Dr. Ekong Sampson – N5 million.
Others include Amb. Assam Assam, SAN – N5 million, 1 million from Rt. Hon. Okpolupm Ette through his representative and Chairman of Ibeno LGA who also donated N300,000.
The Chairman of the occasion and Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Frank Archibong who assured the Governor and his wife of the support of the Senatorial District, announced the donation of N10 million from prominent sons of the Senatorial District including Sam Umoh, David Ekaette, Edon Odongide, Iniobong Idem, Emmanuel Ekott – Founder of Heritage Polytechnic, Chief Emmanuel Assam.
Hon. Archibong also announced the donation of 1million from Hon. Martins Esin – Member Representing Oron Federal Constituency; Hon. Uduak Odudoh – Representing Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency; a cross-section of members of the State House of Assembly from the Senatorial District who were present at the event also donated N5 million.
N5 million from commissioners from the Senatorial District, N2 million from college of commissioners who are not from the Senatorial District but were present at the event.
N3 million each from the 12 Local Government Chairmen of the district totaling N36 million, and N10 million from the ALGON Chairman, Akwa Ibom State Chapter and Transition Chairman of Esit Eket, Hon. Iniobong Robson.
Earlier in her homily, drawn from Isaiah 23:19, Evang. Becky Udom charged the Senatorial District to be focused on God, urging beneficiaries of the empowerment to use the items and develop themselves.
Highlights of the event were prayer for the State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno-led administration, prayer for the senatorial district and presentation of empowerment items including sewing machines to beneficiaries.
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