Arising from the need to commence entrepreneurship development in Akwa Ibom, the state governor, Umo Eno, has recounted his experiences as an entrepreneur.
The governor said on one of the occasions, he hawked soft drinks for her mother at Ikeja airport, but today, grace has found him worthy to lead a state like Akwa Ibom.
He stated this when he addressed the congregation at All Nations Christian Ministry International (aka the Lord’s Kitchen) in Eket local government area of the state on Sunday.
“A man can only produce his kind. I am an entrepreneur and I will determine to support small businesses.
“That is why when you see me stand by roadsides and encourage those traders, we are not doing a show. I can never forget that I use to be like those people. I use to carry soft drinks on my head and hawk for my mother at the airport back then in Ikeja. I was selling drinks even as a senior prefect in my school.
“When I see roadside traders, I remember I used to be like them. Grace only brought me out. Whenever God takes one out of an orphanage, the person should remember that there are other people in the orphanage, so he should not fail to return to the orphanage because God must have sent him help because of his being there in that orphanage.
“When you see me do that, it is not a show. I want to support them because some of those women you see on the roadside, that is all they have. They train their children from there, pick up their children’s bills and pay their rent from there. Anytime you support them, you are supporting the entire family,” he added.
This came as the governor also announced plans to establish a business school to train and develop budding entrepreneurs in the state.
The governor said this is to enable entrepreneurs to excel in their small and medium-scale enterprises in line with his five-point agenda bordering on agricultural revolution, rural development, infrastructural maintenance/ advancement, security management, and educational advancement (A.R.I.S.E. Agenda).
He said: “Government is going to specifically budget money to help strengthen small businesses and I can tell you that on good
authority.
“The only way you can benefit is to have something to do. I would not lie to you, if a man keeps sending you money every day and you keep looking up to that man, the day he will stop giving you, you will get angry with him. But if the man helps you to stand on your own, you will have your mind and appreciate him. This is how men are raised.”
