Kogi State Governor, His Excellency Alhaji Yahaya Bello, represented by his Deputy, Chief (Dr.) Edward Onoja on Tuesday, received in audience, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq, also ably represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Alhaji Nura Alkali.
Alhaji Alkali led a delegation from the Ministry to the Government House in Lokoja, the State Capital to witness ongoing disbursement of grants to rural women in the State.
Speaking on behalf of his boss, Chief Onoja who welcomed the guests to the Confluence State for the event, pointed out that given the statistics that puts most African countries on poverty scales, the vision of the Project is focused on cushioning its effects on the masses. He averred that the end-goal to bridge the gap between the haves and have-nots remains a priority and global clock of performance for any leader.
According to him, “to many, N20,000 may be small, however, for the petty trader who sits dusk to dawn by the road side, selling, this Program would mean so much to them. This program, I believe, targets the vulnerable directly, which is one of the many pillars of the President Muhammadu APC led Administration.
“For Kogi State, 3,000 women are to benefit, which translates to N60million out of the N2.5 billion earmarked for this Project across the 36 States of Nigeria. The impact of such a financial intervention on the women that ply their trades on the streets, for instance, would be enormous. As a Government, we also have not been resting on our oars in the deliberate effort to key into the business of empowering women. This, we have been doing relentlessly for the past 5 years in line with the Governor Bello’s New Direction Agenda,” he added.
In reiterating Governor Bello’s zero tolerance for insecurity, Chief Onoja opined that sustainable and inclusive social systems that promote human dignity can only thrive in a safe and secured environment as currently enjoyed in Kogi State.
In his remark, the Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Alkali who stood-in for the Minister said his boss at the Ministry was impressed by the genuine intentions of the Governor Yahaya Bello-led administration and its lofty blueprints targeting women.
He disclosed that the Minister also expresses her unreserved gratitude to the Social Investment Office Support in the state, which is the best they have seen in the country so far, adding that the grant was in furtherance of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), Market Moni, N-Power among other efforts to establish structured and efficient micro, small and medium enterprises sectors that would enhance sustainable economic development of the State and country at large.
Promise Emmanuel
Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor of Kogi State.
02/03/2021