Essien Udim Dialogue 2: Discussants identify challenges, development options
Discussants at the second edition of Essien Udim Discourse, a virtual town hall meeting of Essien Udim people, have listed youth unemployment, lack of accountability by leaders at all levels, poor planning, lack of access to opportunities, financial and mental poverty, irresponsible followership, lack of collaborative synergy among the elites, selfishness, envy, hatred and lack of basic infrastructure as factors inhibiting the growth and development of Essien Udim LGA.
Speaking on the topic, “Essien Udim LGA: 1999-2024, How far so far? Avoiding the mistakes of the Past”, the discussants also listed lack of true love, intolerance, forgiveness, poor community spirit, disloyalty, over-politicking, disunity, disregard for professionalism, poor education, lack of access to Primary and Secondary health care, high cost of living, attitudinal disorientation, deviance, avarice, strife, underdevelopment, widening inequality gap and institutional injustice as vices that must be tackled headlong for Essien Udim is to witness sustainable growth and prosperity.
The session, which was moderated by Mr Celestine Mel, a chartered banker in Abuja, had in attendance, other prominent and reputable Essien Udim sons and daughters from around the world. The non-partisan gathering brainstormed on contemporary socio-economic and political issues as they affect the local government area and suggested the best ways forward to include creation of sustainable employment opportunities for the teeming youth population through massive agricultural renaissance, depoliticization and refocusing of the minds of the youth, industrialization, establishment of back-to-farm initiatives, leveraging the office of the President of Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to attract investment and industries to the LGA as well as place people on good jobs in Abuja, promote enterprise through access to financial services and capital. The forum also called for transparent injection of funds that accrue to the LGA to developmental initiatives.
The meeting identified the need for due respect to be accorded constituted authorities and called on politicians, the elite and the leaders to be equitable in the exercise of their powers and empathetic to the plight of the local government area which has remained unacceptably underdeveloped after so many years of wasted opportunities. Participants applauded the Arise Agenda of Governor Umo Eno as panacea for achieving a glorious future for Akwa Ibom State.
In a communique, The Essien Udim Discourse noted that there is an urgent need for strategic repositioning of Essien Udim youths through a structured coaching and mentoring programme where willing youths will be paired with accomplished professionals in different fields to provide guidance, direction and clarity to their chosen fields and guide them to live to their full potentials.
The youths called for immediate steps to be taken by relevant government agencies, government representatives and public-spirited individuals and groups to revamp the social infrastructures in the area as they are in deplorable state and for Essien Udim leaders and public office holders to be more accountable, responsible and responsive to the electorate who elected them through regular town hall meetings for performance appraisal.
The forum called on the youths to start thinking of a skill or career first before politics towards reducing their over reliance on politicians but instead redirect their focus to more profitable ventures that will create sustainable value and wealth and should resist the temptation of being engaged for violence while noting that the agricultural sector needs urgent attention and revolution as there is an urgent need to end hunger, achieve food security and promote sustainable agriculture in line with sustainable development goals.
The discussants also observed that the Oil Palm Mill at Ukana Uwa West and other moribund interventionist centers on agriculture in the local government be revitalized immediately to create jobs, wealth and accelerate commerce while also ensuring and exploring sustainable human capital development, ICT and Entrepreneurship by both our policy makers and elites.
The communique stated that henceforth, intelligent and courageous youths must be prepped, groomed and empowered for future opportunities and leadership positions and that appointments and leadership positions should not only be an offshoot of political compensation.
“That there is need for synergy and collaboration between the Senate President, House of Assembly Member, local government chairman and other political office holders both at the federal and state level to enable a robust distribution of resources and development in the local government and the proper positioning of our people”.
“There is an urgent call for our leaders and person of means to trigger industrialization in the local government by establishing, sponsoring and directing companies to be sited in our domain. These will create employments opportunities and cause our people to be self-sustaining”, the communique read.
The communique also advocated for responsible followership, love, political tolerance, unity, inclusivity, forgiveness, loyalty and communalism amongst the people and that political affiliations should not erode the shared humanity and brotherhood, among others.