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JOE EFFIONG, UYO
Akwa Ibom Stste commissioner for agriculture and rural development, Dr Offiong Offor, has described Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project, RAAMP as a dependable and very effective means through which the ARISE agenda of the current administration could be realized for the benefit of all stakeholders across the state.
Dr Offor who made the acknowledgement on Monday while touring the project office as part of her familiarization visits of facilities under her ministry, solicited cooperation and strengthen teamwork by all and sundry for the task ahead.
She emphasised agriculture and rural development as the primary focus of ARISE agenda, noting that the project development objectives of RAAMP had already positioned the project as a key player in the build-up and calculation of success by the current administration, most especially following the integration of rural development and agriculture into her ministry!
“We all know that the greater the responsibility, the greater the expectations. The prime focus of ARISE agenda is agriculture and rural development; hence our task is enormous. All hands must be on deck to deliver on our mandate. Get ready to set the pace for others to follow.
“As you had supported me before, I urge you to do even more to ensure that we leave no stone unturned towards ensuring the overall success of His Excellency, the Governor and the ARISE agenda.” The commissioner said.
The commissioner thanked Governor Umo Eno for the confidence reposed in her, describing same as a demonstration of trust and pledged to live above board to deliver the goods accordingly.
She also commended the state project coordinator, Mr Gideon Akpan, for his diligence and dedication to duties as well as the project implementation unit and staff for their dexterity and teamwork spirit, describing the team as one of the best across the country.
Earlier his remarks, the state project coordinator, Mr Gideon Akpan had congratulated the commissioner on her reappointment and elevation, following the merger of agriculture and rural development, under her supervision, as the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural development.
The coordinator presented an update on the project’s milestones, notably on the recent flag-off of the 11-kilometre demonstration road; spot improvement; backlog maintenance; and agro-logistics components as well as some challenges experienced in the course of implementation of the project and prayed the commissioner’s intervention for possible redress.
Akpan paid glowing tributes to Gov. Umo Eno for his faith and passion in embracing the project as well as his people–centred decisions and activities, since assumption of office and pledged the cooperation and utmost dedication of the project’s staff so as to realise an all-round success for the commissioner, the state governor and the ARISE agenda.
It could be recalled that while flagging-off the 11 Kilometre Owotuta-Nung Oku Ekere-Afaha Udo Eyop-Edeobom-Utuat market junction demonstration rural road of RAAMP early last month, Gov Eno had described the project’s development objectives as being in consonance with the ARISE agenda of his administration.
RAAMP is a World Bank funded project, with counterpart funds from the Akwa Ibom State Government, aimed at providing access and trade infrastructures to the rural farming population in the state, while ARISE is an acronym, where “A” represents Agricultural Revolution; “R” – Rural Development; “I”- Infrastructural Maintenance / Advancement; “S”- Security Management; and “E” – Educational Advancement. ENDS
