UMO ENO PROMISES MORE PROJECTS FOR ITU/IBIONO

…as constituency pastors vow support

By Ima Nkanta

The frontline gubernatorial candidate in Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno, has reiterated his pledge to help restore the glory of Itu/Ibiono Ibom Federal Constituency by speeding up development projects across the area in his first year in office.

The PDP flagbearer for 2023 made the promise when representatives of pastors from Itu/Ibiono Ibom federal constituency visited to worship with him in his church, All Nations Christian Ministry Int’l, Eket, on Sunday and also presented peace and blessings symbols from Scotland, the home country of a foremost Scottish missionary, Mary Slessor, credited to have successfully stopped the killings of twins.

Pastor Umo Eno, who was delighted to receive the pastors, assured them that the entire Itu/Ibiono Ibom federal constituency, including Ikono and Ini local government areas formerly under Itu, would be developed to achieve the status of the food basket of the State, by massive investment in agribusiness and rural development of the area, as mapped out in the Arise Agenda programmes of his administration.

“I’m particularly thankful that you’re all from Itu/Ibiono Ibom federal constituency. I see this visitation and the presentation of these peace and blessings symbols beyond any human understanding. We all know what has transpired politically from this axis, so this move coming from pastors from this area goes beyond human imagination. These tokens of peace and blessings presented to me simply demonstrates the tokens peace and friendship of the people of the area, ” the PDP candidate said.

He reiterated his administration’s commitment towards developing the area. “I’ve been to Itu/Ibiono Ibom several times to assure them that I will do for Itu/Ibiono Ibom what their son wouldn’t have done. This is a promise I will keep to show that I look beyond politics,” he assured and added that: “Sometimes, God uses people who may not be from there to do what people from there may not be able for their own people. It was King Cyrus who released the Jews to return to Jerusalem but King Cyrus wasn’t even a child of God. So God will use me to do more for Itu/Ibiono Ibom what their son wouldn’t do for them.”

He noted that his administration’s policy as enunciated in the Arise Agenda blueprint focuses mostly on rural development and agriculture, such that the entire flank of Itu, Ibiono Ibom, Ikono and Ini local government areas would be developed for commercial food production areas.

He also lauded the team of pastors for their initiative to immortalize Mary Slessor’s works and promised that the Mary Slessor centre in Itu will be developed into a world class tourist hotspot during his administration. “We will develop the Mary Slessor centre and reenact the story of her missionary efforts to save the lives of twins and their mothers. Itu will become a tourism attraction centre of global standard.”

“We will ensure the full restoration of peace and blessings Mary Slessor represented in Itu/Ibiono Ibom and never again will our people ever rise against those God has sent to help us,” he pledged.

The leader of the team of pastors from Itu/Ibiono Ibom under the aegis of the Fathers in Faith for Good Governance, Rev. Dr. Joshua Cleopas, narrated the sad stories of the cruelties meted out by their forefathers to the twins, their mothers and Mary Slessor and how the blood of the innocent twins and their mothers killed over a century ago, including Mary Slessor, a Scottish missionary, was crying against the peace, progress and development of the region.

He recalled that during the centenary celebration of the works of Mary Slessor in 2015, some Scottish representatives who visited Akwa Ibom State, had revealed that the killings of the twins, their mothers and Mary Slessor brought curses that negated progress in the region. Upon pleas and supplications, God’s mercy was obtained for the liberation of Itu/Ibiono Ibom from the pangs of the past cruelties to twins and missionaries.

Rev. Cleopas, a former district superintendent of the Assemblies of God and CAN officer, recalled how Governor Udom Emmanuel held a statewide thanksgiving service in commermeration of the works of Mary Slessor and also publicly acknowledged the general acceptance and respect of twins and their mothers in the State.

The clergymen also added, that Pastor Umo Eno’s incoming administration will lead to total restoration of peace and prosperity for Itu/Ibiono Ibom people and that it was imperative for the group of pastors of the area to symbolically identify and support his election as governor.

Rev Cleopas affirmed that pastors of the region have overwhelmingly thrown their weights behind Pastor Umo Eno’s victory at the governorship elections in March 2023.

Last Thursday in Mbak Itam, Itu local government area, hundreds of pastors from Itu and Ibiono Ibom local government areas trooped out to affirm their supports to a fellow pastor, running the race for the gubernatorial seat of the State.