Hon. Patrick Umoh.
Abasifreke Effiong
Hon. Patrick Umoh, PhD, member representing Ikot Ekpene/Essien Udim/Obot Akara federal constituency, has facilitated the employment of 16 people from his constituency into the federal civil service within 15 months in the National Assembly.
Hon. Umoh presented letters of employment into different top-rated federal establishments to the latest batch of two youths from his constituency, Itohowo Jimmy and Aniekan Okon, both pharmacists employed by the National Agency for Food and drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, on Monday.
Last month, four beneficiaries of Umoh’s employment assistance scheme, Etimbuk Obot, Martins Udom, Barr Usenobong Umoh and Mr Emineimo Ekiko, received letters of employment. Etimbuk and Martins are PhD holders.
Presenting the employment letters to the new federal employees in his office in the National Assembly, Hon. Umoh, restated his commitment to support the career development of his constituents.
He said he will continue to do his utmost best in the National Assembly to contribute to the development of the country through quality law-making and oversight, while equally assisting to link his constituents to opportunities that will enhance their career and economic growth.
Hon. Umoh who chairs the Committee on Monitoring, Evaluation and Implementation of Legislative Agenda in the House of Representatives, had paid bursary to more than 150 students within his first year in the National Assembly and given scholarship to many students.
The latest beneficiaries of his scholarship are a year one law student of the University of Uyo, Enwongo Patrick Mkpadia, and 12-years old JSS1 student, Master Sampson Joseph Okon, from Odoro Ikot village, Essien Udim local government area.
Sampson was offered scholarship to study to university level. Enwongo and Sampson lost their fathers recently.
Meanwhile, the lawmaker has donated ₦5million to a women cooperative society in Obot Akara local government area, Akwa Ibom state. The money has been paid into an escrow account for proper management by the cooperative.
Hon. Umoh made the donation during a meeting with the women at his constituency office in Ikot Ekpene on October 3.
At the meeting, the lawmaker as quoted by his media unit said that the grant which is part of his constituency empowerment and business support scheme is aimed to promote economic growth, self-sufficiency, and financial independence among women of the area.
Umoh said he is committed to providing women the necessary resources and support to boost small-scale businesses with a view to reducing extreme hunger and poverty among very low-income earners in the area.
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The lawmaker had facilitated the incorporation of four cooperative societies for farmers, carpenters, motorcyclists and youths, with a N1million seed fund donated to each.
Speaking on the initiative with The Atlantic Observer, he said his aim is to unlock access to other sources of funding for the societies and guarantee their sustainability.
“My idea is that when I encourage them to come together and form cooperatives, I will support them as a group. Beyond this, I would help them access other sources of funding available for rural cooperatives and small-scale businesses of their kind provided from time-to-time by the federal government and organisations.”
“By so doing, the members of the cooperative societies will have more funding opportunities than what they could have accessed individually even more than what I have done for them”, he said in a telephone conversation with our reporter.
Last year, Umoh facilitated the training of 50 youths in cocoa farming and donated N5 million take-off grant to them.
