“We need more of you in our societies” – Council Chairman, Hon Alfred
By Ime Silas
In support of the free Food Distribution Programme, an initiative of Gov Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State aimed at providing food to the less privileged, Mr. Imoh Anthony on Friday, donated bags of garri to the governor. Mr. Imoh is a former Special Adviser to the immediate-past governor of Cross River State; His Excellency, Prof. Ben Ayade, on Local Content.
Imoh Anthony, who hails from Ikot Uboh, in Ubium South Ward 1, Nsit Ubium local government area, also on the same day, donated free exercise books to the Community Secondary School, Ikot Uboh in support of the governor’s Free and Compulsory Education policy.
Receiving the food items on behalf of the governor at his Ikot Edibon Council Secretariat office, the Local Government Council Chairman, Hon Alfred Charles thanked Imoh Anthony for the gesture, reasoning that it came at the right time.
He said “I want to really thank you for your benevolence. I am not the kind of Chairman that receives gifts from people and hide them. I can assure you that I am going to inform the governor of this gesture.
As the number one indigene of this local government area, His Excellency the Governor must be informed of any humanitarian services of this magnitude.
For you the donor, I pray God to bless you abundantly. The Bible says he who gives to the poor, lends to God. We need more of you in our societies because government cannot do everything.
I am so grateful. May God bless you”.
Earlier, while handing over the food items to the Chairman, Mr Imoh said he was moved by the governor’s thoughtful initiative to distribute food to the less privileged in the society.
“I see this as one of loftiest initiative of His Excellency, Governor Umo Eno. We have the less privileged in our societies who barely have what to eat. So, it is very thoughtful of His Excellency and we must encourage and support him to succeed”.
Amongst the dignitaries who witnessed the presentation was the Majority Leader of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly and member representing Nsit Ubium State Constituency; Rt. Hon. Otobong Bob.
At the Community Secondary School, Ikot Uboh, Mr Imoh Anthony said he chose to donate the free exercise books in his little way of supporting the Free and Compulsory Education policy of the current administration under Gov Umo Eno.
“It is widely accepted that education is the bedrock of societal development. His Excellency, The Governor has made education free and Compulsory in the state. I believe that we the citizens should support the government’s policies. So, mine is just a little way of such support.
It’s going to be a continuous thing. The target is to distribute about five thousand pieces of free exercise books to pupils and students in our public schools here in order to support the government’s programme, and to also encourage parents to send their children to school”.
Receiving the Free Exercise Books on behalf of the Chairman of the School, Mr. Atauyo Akpan, the PTA Chairman expressed his delight over the gesture and thanked Imoh Anthony for the donation.
He promised that the exercise books would be distributed to the students accordingly so as to improve the quality of education in the school.
In his goodwill message, an APC elder in Ubium South Ward 1, Obong (Barr) Udofia noted that Imoh’s humanitarian gesture was a testament to the fact that indigenes of the community residing outside still have good thinking about the community.
“We are very grateful. This shows that some of us living outside are still thinking about the roots. How I wish others would emulate this your kind gesture. Thank you very much for supporting education which is one of the acronyms of Gov Umo Eno’s ARISE Agenda”.
