May 2, (THEWILL) – In line with his Back-to-Farm Initiative, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has declared the first and third Fridays of every month as farm days, with effect from Friday, May 3rd 2024.
The governor made the declaration while addressing workers in the state, during the 2024 Workers Day Celebration Wednesday, at the Uyo Township Stadium.
Recall that Gov. Eno had urged citizens in many fora, to return to farming, even at the subsistence level, to deal with the growing hardship in the country
He noted that the prevailing hardship was exacerbated by prolonged neglect of agriculture among citizens, which has aggravated food shortage stressing that Akwa Ibom under his administration, was making plans to cushion the hardship on citizens through the establishment of a Bulk Purchase Agency, as short term measure with deliberate commitment to farming by everyone as a lasting solution.
According to him, the two-farm day declaration is intentional to ensure that every civil servant in the state owns a farm or farms to rely upon for basic food items like vegetables, garri, foofoo, corn etc.
The governor also announced the release of another N2 billion Naira for payment of gratuities of retired civil servants in the state.
He, among other gestures, Presented brand new vehicles to chairmen of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), in the state to ease their movements while carrying out necessary operations.
Pastor Umo Eno, however, announced plans by his administration to commence recruitment of medical personnel into the State Civil Service.
Earlier in his address, the Chairman, NLC, Akwa Ibom State chapter, comrade Sunny James, noted that the state is blessed to have a leader with a compassionate heart, expressing appreciation to Gov. Eno, for reconnecting the fact that Akwa Ibom money belongs to the citizens of the state, displayed in prompt payment of wages to workers.
Describing Eno as a labour-friendly Governor, James confessed that the labour Union in the state had not gotten this good but demanded for vehicles to ease the transportation of workers in the state.
He frowned at the situation where major Petroleum products markers in the state are hoarding products to sell in bulk to independent marketers, thereby creating continuous hikes in prices of fuel and bringing untold hardship to the people of the state.
The state labour leader urged the state Government to consider resuscitating moribund industries in the state like the Ibom Power Company, Aluminum Smelter Company and Ikot Abasi, among others to among other benefits, employ the youths of the state.
He, however, pleaded with the governor to be among the first state governors to implement the new minimum wage, when eventually it was approved by the federal government.
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