From Ayoyinka Jegede, Uyo

Ex-minister condemns empowerment schemes by politicians 
Mixed reactions are pouring over the ongoing four-day retreat of Akwa Ibom State Executive Council members in Lagos State.
  
At the opening ceremony of the retreat on Monday, Governor Umo Eno said the retreat was intended to integrate newcomers into his new cabinet, including his highly regarded delivery advisors for enhanced actualisation of his Arise Agenda for the development of Akwa Ibom.
While some stakeholders consider the development as reckless and wasteful, others say the benefits of the retreat would not be meaningful without post-event feedback from the Akwa Ibom populace.
  
The Niger Delta Peace Coalition (NDPC), with Zik Gbemre as National Coordinator, said: “It’s reckless for Akwa Ibom government to take a squandering jamboree to a high-end Lagos hotel in the name of EXCO retreat.”
  
However, Executive Director of COMPPART Foundation For Justice and Peacebuilding, Saviour Akpan, said that his concern is not on the perceived associated wastage but expressed displeasure over a “retreat without a strategic plan.”

MEANWHILE, former Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Nduese Essien, has condemned the widespread empowerment schemes promoted by politicians across Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria.
  
Essien expressed dismay at the failure of governance at all levels, blaming politicians for deploying antics of empowerment as a cover-up for non-performance.

The former Eket Federal Constituency lawmaker in the House of Representatives described such schemes as wasteful and deliberate ploys to enlist the support of the people in the face of obvious under-achievements.
   
Addressing a forum in his country home in Eket, Akwa Ibom State, Essien noted: “What is popularly known as empowerment is nothing more than a ruse, designed to mask the government’s inability to provide basic amenities and economic opportunities for its citizens.”
  
Essien argued that no serious government in the world sustains poverty alleviation by handing out foodstuffs and cash to its citizens, pointing out that responsible nations focus on long-term investments that build human capacity and stimulate productivity.