Labour Party (LP) Akwa Ibom State governorship candidate, Helen Esuene, has pledged to close the gap between the rich and the poor in the state if elected on April 11.
She made the pledge at a rally in Uyo, where she expressed dissatisfaction with income disparity despite internally generated revenue and huge federal allocations.
In her view, the people have no business with poverty if the resources of the state are properly managed.
“The gap between the rich and the poor in Akwa Ibom is very wide and is increasing by the day. It is this disparity that my administration will try to reduce when elected governor of the state,” Esuene promised.
She said if elected, she will take “deliberate and conscious steps” to increase and strengthen capacity for the working class, and run an administration where a poor man will be encouraged to put in his best.
“Labour Party is a party for the poor and down trodden and will continue to support the wishes and aspirations of such people to grow and contribute their quota to the growth of the society by ensuring that their capacities are strengthened.”
Trade and industrial clusters would be established, she pledged, in order to increase the value of services offered by traders, artisans, and craftsmen.
“It is such that the services of artisans and craftsmen will be polished and refined even for exports so that a product or service that has fetched N1000 will now fetch N10,000 by reason of exposing them to the international market.”
Esuene expressed joy at the degree of acceptance of LP in Akwa Ibom, describing it as a sign that residents are prepared for a new level of self actualisation.
She commended past governors for their efforts to develop the state and pledged to continue with the transformation schemes of the present administration.
She said, however, that more emphasis would be placed on revitalising agriculture by transforming the rural areas with better infrastructure, health care delivery, and tourism.
LP National Chairman, Abdulkadir Abdusalam, expressed confidence that Esuene’s acceptance would produce the first democratically elected female governor in the state.
He said the party is in the forefront of strengthening and increasing the role of women, youths and the masses to develop the country, hence its adoption of a woman as its governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom.
