By Ekemini James
Governor Umo Eno has proven to be a man of compassion. Literary analysts identify “compassion” as the delicate blend of empathy and responsibility, the rare virtue that transcends mere pity and finds expression in tangible action.
It is the human capacity to feel another’s pain and, beyond feeling, to stretch forth a hand that heals, restores, and uplifts. Compassion, in its truest form, is not passive sentiment; it is an active force that redefines leadership.
Compassion could also be what we describe, in the local parlance, as “mbom” – that deep sense of pity laced with tenderness, the instinctive urge to stand in the gap for another, not because duty demands, but because the heart compels it.
Mbom is the language of shared humanity, the quiet power that makes a man stoop to lift another. I have seen our Governor consistently displayed these attributes.
Since assumption of Office, Governor Umo Eno has chosen to embody compassion in policy and programme. He carved out a separate Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, to ensure that the poor and the vulnerable are not hidden in the shadows of bureaucracy.
His administration has built and handed over more than 200 compassionate homes, fully furnished with solar-powered amenities, external kitchen, solar powered borehole to widows and vulnerable families who once lived in despair.
The compassionate home also comes with a business support grant of 500,000 naira for each of the beneficiaries to start a new means of livelihood with the goal of reaching 500 before the end of the Governor’s first term.
The story does not end with shelter, the current administration is heavily investing in lifting people out of poverty and giving voice and comfort to the poor and the vulnerable.
Already, Governor Eno is also paying 50,000 naira monthly to about 600 elders drawn from all the 368 wards in the State to cater for them to take care of their medical and other urgent needs
Alongside this, food distribution exercises have reached nearly half a million households in phases one and two and another round is proposed for the Yuletide period.
In the area of healthcare, more than 120,000 persons and families have been enrolled in the Arise Medical Insurance Scheme, and an emergency has been declared in the health sector to plug gaps and strengthen service delivery.
The Governor’s compassion is also visible in his commitment to the welfare of retirees. On assumption of office, he inherited 98 billion naira from previous administrations in backlog of gratuities and so far, over 70 billion naira has already been paid.
These payments are not mere figures; they are tears wiped from the eyes of old men and women who can now face the evening of life with peace and provision.
What makes this vision compelling is not just the scale of intervention but the spirit behind it. Governor Eno often recalls his own humble beginnings, reminding us that he too once tasted the rough edge of want.
That memory has become his compass, ensuring that power does not harden his heart but deepens his resolve. He is running a Christ-centric administration where compassion is not afterthought, but policy.
And yet, compassion in his vision does not stand alone. It walks hand in hand with purposeful leadership. While lifting the poor, he is also priming the state for a future of tourism and infrastructure expansion.
The soon-to-be-commissioned world class Arise Resorts, is set to announce Akwa Ibom as a major destination in the nation’s tourism map.
I like to end this piece with Governor Umo Eno’s words during the 2nd plenary session of Catholic Bishop Conference of Nigeria.
“I have always said that I know and feel the pains the poor and vulnerable are experiencing. I was once there, and the good Lord lifted and gave me a platform of service and I must use the platform to do the best for the most people.”