August 09, (THEWILL) – The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Akwa Ibom State, Comrade Ini Ememobong, has described the free eye care services and provision of reading glasses for all staff of his ministry as a reflection of Governor Udom Emmanuel’s care for workers in the state.
According to the Commissioner, the move was in understanding that both his staff as Information managers were constantly exposed to screen, radiation and other activities that task the eye sight.
Extending the care to members of Correspondents Chapel of NUJ in Uyo at the weekend, EmemObong said the gesture was in imitation of Governor Udom Emmanuel, who places high premium on human capital development and has consistently worked to understand the medical history of members of the State Executive Council, so as to ensure they have the best medical care.
He said the eye care and free reading glasses, COVID-19 testing and the proposed National Identity Number and Voter Card registration were for every member of staff, all 298, including the security men and other support staff within the ministry.
He said: “The Governor of Akwa Ibom State places high premium on human capacity development and there is no way you are going to develop the human capacity which is intellect without the physical, so he is so very interested in our physical wellbeing.
“So as Commissioners, you would be surprised to know that the Governor is interested in our medical history. He takes personal care about our health, and so he directs us to also take care of the people working with us.”
Ememobong said the Ministry has during his 12 months in office taken various steps to build the intellectual capacity of staff and still have other programmes including introduction of foreign languages’ training, such as –sign language and Chinese language for staff.
He said: “We have done seminars, we have done workshops, we have trained people on sound management, that’s how far we have gone, we have trained people on disc jockey (DJ), we have trained sound engineers, writing, video editing and the next thing we are going to do is to train people in sign language, Chinese and other foreign languages.”
Some of the beneficiaries who spoke with THEWILL expressed appreciation to the Governor and the Commissioner in particular, saying the gesture was a timely intervention in an area that was very necessary.
The Chairman of the Correspondents Chapel, Comrade Idongesit Ashameri, thanked the Commissioner on behalf of members, wishing other opinion leaders and newsmakers could emulate such gestures in other areas of pressing needs.
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