Barely two months after Umo Eno, Akwa Ibom State Governor unveiled a
food security programme for the vulnerable persons in the state, he has
also announced an interest-free loan for traders. The loan for which N1.5bn
has been earmarked is a scheme in which the state government will give
N500m to traders in each of the three senatorial districts of the state. This
is being put in place while the government has started the implementation
of the food security programme for the vulnerable.
The distribution of food vouchers to all vulnerable persons has taken off
across the state. Dr. Dan Akpan, chairman of the Bulk Purchase Agency,
while speaking during the distribution ceremony held at the Agency’s
Office, Ewet Housing, Uyo, said the exercise would be done in all the
senatorial districts, beginning from Eket senatorial district. He added that
the distribution is done through Personal Assistants to the governor in the
368 wards across the state, who collect the vouchers for their wards for
onward redistribution to the vulnerable persons who would have been
captured in the social register.
he said, “This event is about the programme initiated by Akwa Ibom State
Governor, Umo Eno. He came up with an initiative where the poorest of the
poor should be given free food and that is the process we are doing today.
“We started a month ago to ensure that we use the social register to map
out their names and invite them to come and receive free food through their
PAs. In Akwa Ibom, we have what we call PAs to the governor in each of
the wards, and all ward PAs are the ones that are going to handle these
vouchers ward by ward.
“As a matter of fact, we have what we call vouchers and those vouchers
entail giving them garri, rice and also beans. Each of the vouchers has a
particular amount in it, and each amount can purchase 5 kilos of rice and 5
kilos of garri, and we make sure that all people in the social register have
access to these food items.”
in the attempt to assure the people that the personal assistants are not
imaginary human beings, Dr. Akpan explained to his audience that those
who were present at the briefing were the personal assistants. He said,
“The people you are seeing today are the PAs to the governor, they are
here to collect their vouchers so that they will take them to their wards and
share them with those in the social register.”
On what punishment would be meted out to those who divert the food
items, the chairman said that the system is fool-proof and does not allow
for diversion.
“The system is very transparent in the sense that the mini-computers that
have been given to them have all the names of people in the social register.
“When they receive these vouchers, they take them to their wards, call their
names and give them to the beneficiaries and what we are telling them now
is that when they give it to a particular beneficiary, they should snap the
beneficiary before he or she takes it to a particular vendor that will
eventually give them the food items,” he said.
Mr Aniekan Umanah former commissioner of Information and media
Consultant to Governor Eno, on his part said “The governor did announce
that he is making this intervention to see how he can support the vulnerable
families and households to be able to have what to eat and have enough
strength to go back to farm and plant more crops, so it’s a laudable
programme and it’s succeeding by the day.”
