- Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has started his ARISE Agenda-driven administration by restructuring MDAs
- The Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Rural Development have been merged to form a new Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
- A separate Ministry for Water Resources and Sanitation has been established, while the Ministry of Power will remain independent
Pastor Umo Eno, Governor of Akwa Ibom State, has begun the new era of his ARISE Agenda-driven administration by restructuring the state’s Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
The Ministry of Agriculture has been merged with the Ministry of Rural Development, a new Ministry for Water Resources and Sanitation has been established, and the Ministry of Power will continue to function independently.
Governor Umo Eno made the announcement while speaking to participants on Day 3 of the Akwa Ibom Dialogue for the interpretation and implementation of the A.R.I.S.E. Agenda blueprint, which was held at the Ibom Icon Hotel and Golf Resort in Uyo.
On merging Agriculture and Rural Development into one Ministry, Governor Eno stated that agriculture is primarily practised in rural areas where farmlands are available. The two are inextricably linked and must be brought together to implement the A.R.I.S.E. Agenda properly.
I want to speak on Rural development and I will like to announce that the Ministry of Agriculture will now be merged with the Ministry of Rural Development. So we are going to have a Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
This is because Agriculture is in the rural areas and there are so many things we need to rearrange in this dispensation, and maybe that will give us comfort, he stated.
He bemoaned the state’s exclusion from water-related benefits provided by the central government and donor agencies. He assured participants that the establishment of a designated Ministry for Water Resources would fully integrate the state into the United Nations Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene, WASH, program and reposition the state to implement the existing Water Law as well as address other water and sanitation-related issues most effectively.
The Governor emphasized the importance of the power sector in the A.R.I.S.E. Agenda blueprint. He advised whoever is appointed to oversee the Ministry to prepare for the demands of the new office and deliver on his responsibilities.
Governor Eno expressed concern about the Ibom FADAMA Micro Finance Bank’s inability to achieve its fundamental goal of assisting farmers with credit facilities and the continuous depletion of shareholder funds. He ordered the immediate disbandment of the Management team to make way for a functional team to ensure results.
“I don’t have faith in the current management of Ibom FADAMA, and I will not empower that bank as long as that management is in place,” he said. We require new management so that we can collaborate and connect the farmers to the bank. This state has 496,000 registered farmers. We can connect them to the bank so that when we release funds to the bank, it goes directly to those farmers.”
On Thursday, July 27, he announced the formation of a new Executive Council for his administration, stating that the new cabinet will begin operations immediately, with the first Executive Council meeting scheduled for Friday, July 28 at 11 a.m., and informing the audience that governance in the new administration will be run in a private sector template to ensure results.
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