ORON – More development projects were inaugurated yesterday by the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno as he intensified grassroots development drive in the Area.
The projects, described by residents as historic and life-changing, include; a Model Primary Health Centre, a state-of-the-art Youth Development Centre, the 4.2-kilometre Effiong Esang and Ukpong Streets with 800 metres of discharge drains, as well as a newly completed administrative block at the Oron Local Government Council headquarters.
Speaking during the inauguration ceremonies, Governor Eno said his administration remains committed to delivering people-oriented projects that directly impact the lives of ordinary citizens, especially in rural communities.
At the Model Primary Health Centre, the Governor urged the people of Oron and neighbouring communities to maximize the opportunities provided by the facility through regular access to quality and affordable healthcare services.
He explained that the health centre was part of his administration’s broader strategy to strengthen primary healthcare delivery and reduce avoidable medical challenges among rural dwellers.
Governor Eno also commissioned the Youth Development Centre, describing it as the first completed centre among similar facilities being replicated across the 31 Local Government Areas of the state.
According to him, the centres are designed to equip young people with practical and entrepreneurial skills capable of making them self-reliant and economically productive.
He disclosed that upon completion across the state, the centres would train over 31,000 youths annually in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), fashion designing, catering, and other vocational disciplines.
The Governor noted that the establishment of Ministry of Youth, from the Ministry of Youths and Sports Development further demonstrates his administration’s commitment to youth empowerment and inclusive governance.
He added that the youth centres, modern healthcare facilities and other infrastructural projects spread across the state were deliberately conceived to decentralize development and curb rural-urban migration.
At the commissioning of the newly reconstructed 4.2km roads and drainage system, Governor Eno expressed satisfaction that the perennial erosion menace and years of hardship suffered by residents in the area had finally become a thing of the past.
“The joy is not just about constructing roads, but that the suffering of our people caused by erosion and poor road conditions has now been permanently addressed,” the Governor stated.
The Governor also inaugurated the new administrative building named after him at the Oron Local Government Council Secretariat, and commended the Council Chairman, Hon. Okon Asukwo Enmewe, for demonstrating dedication, hard work and purposeful leadership.
He applauded the Local Government Chairmen in the state for aligning with his administration’s development agenda and assured them sustained collaboration for greater progress across the state.
Addressing the gathering, Governor Eno thanked the people for their loyalty, solidarity and continued confidence in his administration, and promised more transformative projects to be executed during his second term in office.
