A bill seeking to amend some sections of the Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission (AKISIEC) law, and a bill to establish the Akwa Ibom State Civil Society Organisations Registry to provide for harmonisation of registrations and related matters have passed first reading at the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly. Additionally, two other bills passed the first reading during plenary on Tuesday, September 29th, at the Assembly Complex along Udo Udoma Avenue, Uyo. They are: a bill to provide for the elimination of tuberculosis, protect the rights of persons affected by tuberculosis, prohibit tuberculosis-related discrimination, and address related matters; and a bill to regulate tenancy, the recovery of premises by landlords, and the operations of real estate agents in Akwa Ibom State. Three of the bills are sponsored by Rt. Hon. Kufre Abasi Edidem, Deputy Speaker; Hon. Moses Essien (Ibiono Ibom State constituency); and Hon. Uwemedimo Asuquo (Uyo State constituency), respec...
Akwa Ibom Women Seek Dedicated South-South Enterprise Fund As SSDC Engages Women Groups On Development Needs, Partnership
By Asuquo Edem Women in Akwa Ibom State have called for the establishment of a dedicated South-South Women Enterprise Fund to provide grants and other financial support to women entrepreneurs, particularly those operating in rural communities. The call was made by the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Hon. Inibehe Silas Etukudo, who was represented by Mrs. Nkechi Udoh, at a stakeholders’ engagement with women’s groups organised by the South-South Development Commission (SSDC) on Tuesday at La Mems Hotel, Uyo. Etukudo said the proposed fund would help bridge the financial gap faced by women entrepreneurs and ensure that development interventions reach women at the grassroots. “Our market women need grants, not just loans at high interest rates,” she said, stressing the need for interventions that would enable women to build sustainable livelihoods and contribute more effectively to the development of their communities. The Commissioner also c...