The Rural Access and Agricultural marketing Project, RAAMP has been identified as a dependable and very effective means through which the ARISE agenda of the current administration could be realized for the benefit of all stakeholders across the state.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Offiong Offor made the acknowledgement, Monday, August 07, 2023, during her maiden visit to the project office, as part of her familiarization tour of facilities under her ministry, to solicit cooperation and strengthen teamwork by all and sundry for the task ahead, following her recent reappointment into the State Executive Council by the State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno.
Dr. Offor who was emphatic on agriculture and rural development as the primary focus of ARISE agenda, noted that the project development objectives of RAAMP had already positioned the project as a key player in the build-up and calculation of success by the current administration, most especially following the integration of Rural Development and Agriculture into the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Her words: “We all know that the greater the responsibility, the greater the expectations. The prime focus of ARISE agenda is agriculture and rural development, hence our task is enormous. All hands must be on deck to deliver on our mandate. Get ready to set the pace for others to follow. As you had supported me before, I urge you to do even more to ensure that we leave no stone unturned towards ensuring the overall success of His Excellen
cy, the Governor and the ARISE agenda.”
The commissioner thanked Governor Umo Eno for the confidence reposed in her, describing same as a demonstration of trust and pledged to live above board to deliver the goods accordingly.
She also commended the State Project Coordinator, Pastor Gideon Akpan for his diligence and dedication to duties as well as the Project Implementation Unit and staff for their dexterity and teamwork spirit, describing the team as one of the best across the country.
Earlier his remarks, the State Project Coordinator, Pastor Gideon Akpan had congratulated the commissioner on her reappointment and elevation, following the merger of agriculture and rural development, under her supervision, as the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural development.
The coordinator presented an update on the project’s milestones, notably on the recent flag-off of the 11-kilometre demonstration road; spot improvement; backlog maintenance; and agro-logistics components as well as some challenges experienced in the course of implementation of the project and prayed the commissioner’s intervention for possible redress.
Pastor Akpan paid glowing tributes to the State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno for his faith and passion in embracing the project as well as his people – centred decisions and activities, since assumption of office, as he pledged the cooperation and utmost dedication of the project’s staff so as to realise an all-round success for the Commissioner, the State Governor and the ARISE agenda.
It could be recalled that while flagging-off the 11 Kilometre Owotuta – Nung Oku Ekere – Afaha Udo Eyop – Edeobom – Utuat market junction demonstration rural road of RAAMP early last month, Governor Umo Eno had described the project’s development objectives as being in consonance with the ARISE agenda of his administration.
RAAMP is a World Bank funded project, with counterpart funds from the Akwa Ibom State Government, aimed at providing access and trade infrastructures to the rural farming population in the state, while ARISE is an acronym, where “A” represents Agricultural Revolution; “R” – Rural Development; “I”- Infrastructural Maintenance / Advancement; “S”- Security Management; and “E” – Educational Advancement.
AKS-RAAMP MEDIA UNIT
9th AUGUST 2023
