As your leader, I feel your pain, Akwa Ibom gov tells residents over lockdown

Udom Emmanuel, governor of Akwa Ibom state, says he feels the pains of the residents at a time when measures are in place to fight COVID-19.

The governor stated this in his statewide broadcast to commemorate the 2020 Easter celebration in the state.

In the broadcast titled: “What Affects one, Affects all’, he thanked the people for their cooperation in the fight to rid the state of the plague.

“We thank you for your sacrifices and deep understanding. It has never happened in our lifetime that free citizens have had to be locked down in their homes, their freedom of movement curtailed and social interaction which is the basis of our communal life stopped,” he said.

“It is unthinkable that our Churches, businesses, offices and shops have been closed down. This is indeed a huge sacrifice. We thank you for enduring the pains. But you must remember that this season offers all of us in this lockdown the opportunity to look up to God for help and lock our faith in Him perpetually”.

He reminded Christians that Easter is a commemoration of the uplifting story of Jesus Christ the Saviour, who in spite of being sinless offered himself as a sacrifice for the redemption of others.

He urged the people to emulate Christ in offering unconditional love to the needy during this difficult period and to look up to God a breakthrough from the crisis.

“We should therefore, ensure that not one person in our neighbourhood is deprived of this essential ingredient by virtue of this lockdown which circumstances have forced upon us. Let us bridge the gap of social distancing with the cords of God’s love in sharing our foods and groceries with our neighbours,” he said.

“Because your headache is my headache, and what ails or afflicts you also afflicts me, I have made elaborate plans for relief materials to be given to our people across the State. The food items, such as Flour were sourced from our flour mill, the rice, from our rice mills in Ini and Garri from our processing plants located in all the senatorial districts of the State.

“As your leader, I feel your pain. What affects you affects me and what affects me, affects you. The death of any Akwa Ibom person diminishes me. That is why we are fighting this Covid-19 pandemic with all the weapons at our arsenal. We trust God, that at the end of the day, not one Akwa Ibom person will die from this pandemic.”

He also spoke on the measures that his government has put in place to alleviate the pains that the lockdown could cause.

“It is a moment such as this, that has borne out the vision I brought to the state, to make us food sufficient and ensure that our staple food items are readily available and at affordable price range. At the same time, our syringe manufacturing company has risen to the occasion producing medical consumables to meet the rising demands of the time. This, again, is the testament to our vision in health care delivery,” he said.

“We must continue to stand together in unity as one people having one state and worshipping Only One God. We must turn again to the promise of Easter which is that what God did in the resurrection of Jesus, God will do again for this blessed State.

“This State is on the rise, our people are equally on the move, the leadership is people and Christ-Centric and our symphony of unity continues to ring louder and more enchanting. Let this lesson and impulse of love and amity drive us to find fortitude in our shared resolve and purpose in our common aspirations”.

“To our sons and daughters who are at the battlefront of our fight to rid our State of this virus, we salute your courage and appreciate the risks that you are taking to keep our society safe. We also salute the security personnel for maintaining the peace and security in our dear state, standing under scorching sun.

“This may not be a happy Easter for them, but we know that as God rewarded the midwives of Egypt for their kindness to the children of Israel, He will reward every one of them with immeasurable blessings and protection. Let us pray for their safety and strength. Let us pray for the recovery of those who have contacted the virus and are receiving treatment.”