Umo Eno, gift to A’Ibom traders,
business community- Udom’s Aide
Senior Special Assistant to Governor Udom Emmanuel on Trade and Market Matters, Mr. Idorenyin Raphael, has described gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno, as a gift to traders and the business community in the state.
The Governor’s aide said this on Wednesday, September 7, 2023, when he featured as guest on Peace Voice, a Maintain Peace Movement (MPM) sponsored programme on Inspiration 105.9 FM, in Uyo.
Recall that Governor Emmanuel and Pastor Umo Eno were recently endorsed by members of the Akwa Ibom Traders Association in an event which drew a mammoth crowd of traders accross the state. The event which had tremendous political and economic significance, was coordinated by Mr. Raphael.
Speaking further, the SSA to the Governor said that Akwa Ibom State traders make up over 65% of the voting strength of the entire state, maintaining that the group had the capacity to decide who becomes the next Governor of the state.
“When you see ‘Eno for traders’ it means that Pastor Umo Eno is a gift to traders in Akwa Ibom State. He is a gift from Uyo Senatorial District to Akwa Ibom people. We were praying for God to make the next Governor a trader. If with a banker as governor we enjoyed like this, how much more a fellow trader?
“Apart from Alaba and Onitsha, Akwa Ibom traders are the next group that has the capacity to decide who will govern the state. It is not only people that sell in the market. There are about 486 sections of the sector. That’s about 65% of the voters’ strength,” he said.
He noted that Pastor Umo Eno is the only governorship candidate who has identified with traders. He therefore berated other candidates who “just come to the market to mount big Bill boards with a huge amount that could have been used to empower traders.”
While disclosing that Governor Emannuel has, in the last 7 years, given interest-free loans to the tune of N4bn, Mr. Raphael, on behalf of all the traders, expressed gratitude to the governor for having their interest at heart.
Raphael also mentioned that the present administration had built markets in several of the 31 local government areas of the state and given them out to traders for free.
He, however, assured that all members of the traders association had their Permanent Voters Cards (PVC) intact and were ready to vote for Pastor Umo Eno in 2023 as expression of their gratitude to Governor Udom’s many kindnesses to them over the years.
