2023: Eket Senatorial District Traders Endorse Ekong Sampson For Senate
….As Ekong Sampson assures that Umo Eno will give traders secure environment for business.
The Evangelist
November 5, 2022
By Samuel UDOMA
Traders in Akwa Ibom South under aegis of Eket Senatorial District Traders Forum have unanimously endorsed Dr. Ekong Sampson as their preferred candidate for the Eket Senate seat, 2023. Barr. Ekong Sampson is the PDP flag bearer for the senatorial seat. The senatorial district traders gave their endorsement of Dr. Sampson yesterday when they paid a courtesy visit on the Onomkpoinam Mkpat Enin.
Over the years, Barr. Ekong Sampson has been very supportive of traders. He built almost half of the market stalls in the popular Akpudoh Market in Mkpat Enin for traders and also donated a water facility for them in 2014. Again, in 2020, in the thick of the Covid pandemic, Barr. Ekong Sampson personally rehabilitated the broken down water facility in Ukam market, the biggest market in Mkpat Enin.
As water gushed out to the delight of ecstatic traders, youths and community leaders in Ukam, Dr. Sampson announced that he restored water to the popular market to help in hand washing and hygiene during the Covid era. Barr. Sampson had equally doled over 5.6million naira to buy food and sanitary items and donated a water facility at Ikot Akpa Ekop. Ekong Sampson’s pet project, the Ekong Sampson Empowerment Programme has for many years provided numerous support and intervention programmes to help drive small scale businesses. The Onomkpoinam Mkpat Enin once donated over twenty vehicles at a stretch and complemented with training in various fields and empowerments. Interestingly, Ekong Sampson does philanthropy in his trademark quiet modesty.
Addressing the senate hopeful, leader of the delegation and Special Assistant to Governor Udom Emmanuel on Market Matters, Eket Senatorial District, Pastor Asuquo Ben lauded Dr. Ekong Sampson as a thoroughbred personality who was clearly the best man to represent Eket Senatorial District in the National Assembly. The Governor’s aide pledged total support of all the traders in the region for Dr. Sampson’s senate bid, noting that Sampson’s antecedents had clearly place him high as a traders’ friendly leader.
Also speaking, President of the Eket Senatorial District Traders Forum, Obonganwan Grace Oduok assured of the full backing of market men and women in the senatorial district.
On her part, a prominent trader in the district, Mrs Dorathy Eyaema, who hails from Mkpat Enin praised Dr. Sampson for his numerous interventions for market women including the construction of stalls and provision of water facilities in popular Ukam and Akpudoh markets in Mkpat Enin, stating that market women have already begun a market-to-market campaigns for the Onomkpoinam Mkpat Enin to ensure victory at the polls.
Responding, Dr. Ekong Sampson said he has been encouraged by the waves of support he has received so far in his senate bid, which he said has cut across a rich strata. He lauded traders as key components of any electioneering campaign, noting that he too, was a trader. The former State Lawmaker, who spoke passionately, said traders in the state were in for a glorious era because the incoming Governor, Pastor Umo Eno was himself a trader too and will offer them perfect environment for businesses to thrive.
He charged the traders to continue to stand with the PDP at all levels, saying that it was the party that won’t dissappoint traders in the state. Sampson assured that as a trader, he will pursue market friendly legislations in the senate and also uphold a strong reward system when voted in as Senator.
Among those present during the solidarity visit were Otuekong Ini Ikott, former House of Assembly Member for Onna and Director of Organisation, Ekong Sampson Campaign Organisation, Hon. Mfon Nkanteen, PDP State Officer and Deputy Director of Organisation, Hon. Joe Akpan, aide to Governor Udom Emmanuel, Dr. Friday Akpabio, convener of Mkpat Enin Unity Network, among others.
