Over 8000 persons set to benefit from second phase of Ebonyi Empowerment Programme

By Mbam Ogodo, Abakaliki

No fewer than 8000 persons are to benefit from the second phase of Ebonyi state government empowerment programme with target on micro, small and medium enterprises, small holder farmers and public and civil servants .

The state Governor, Chief David Umahi made this known while flagging -off Ebonyi NG Cares empowerment programme during the celebration of the 62nd Nigeria anniversary and 26 years of Ebonyi state at Abakalik township Stadium.

Umahi said he will empower youths and women drawn from different categories of groups, adding that he will continue to put smiles on the faces of their people until he hands over on May 29th 2023 .

He disclosed that in the next few months of his administration, he will do more to empower their people and engage them to find business opportunities in their critical infrastructure and assist them through financial empowerment and mentorship programmes that are geared towards reinforcing their livelihood.

"In he next few months of our administration, we shall do more to empower our people and engage them to find business opportunities in our critical infrastructure. We shall assist our people through financial empowerment and mentorship programmes that are geared towards reinforcing their livelihood.

"We have flagged off Ebonyi Cares empowerment programme targeting micro, small and medium enterprises, small holder farmers and public and civil servants who may wish to take advantage of the second address policy of our administration to go into farming.

"Today, we shall use the opportunity of this celebration to flag-off the second phase of the State empowerment programme. We shall empower youths and women drawn from different categories of groups. We promise to continue to put smiles on the faces of our people until we handover on May 29th 2023 when we shall be anchoring gloriously.

"Our penchant for human capital development made us to launch several empowerment programmes including the #ENDSARS Youth Summit, leadership training programme for public and Civil servants, youth training on ICT, empowerment of 4000 widows with N400M grant,

"Youths and Women empowerment where 3000 youths and women were empowered with N750,000,000 grant, tricycle empowerment where 400 tricycles were given as grant to Ebonyians both in Onitsha Anambra State and those within the State, Street to Skill Empowerment Programme where 520 Ebonyians in Lagos were empowered with N130,000,000 grant,

"Divine Mandate Pastors Empowerment where 5008 clergy/pastors were empowered with N500,800,000.00 grant, Wives of Security Personnel Empowerment where 403 Wives of Security officials received N80,600,000 grant and EbonyiCares Empowerment Programme were over N2B Naira has been approved and is being disbursed as grant to the youths and women.

" In the programme of Family Soccur and Upliftment foundation of Her Excellency, Chief (Mrs.) Rachel O. Umahi, my dear wife, many widows and the less privileged have been empowered and their livelihood enhanced.

"The agricultural mechanization and commercialization introduced by our administration motivated us to procure 13 No Bulldozers for land development, 40 brand new tractors for distribution to cooperatives, different farm machinery including tillers, harvesters and planters for small holder farmers, enhancement of the rice milling capacity of the State owned rice mills from 15 to 32 metric tons capacity per hour, enhancement of the State owned Fertilizer Blending Plant from 40 tons to 80 tons capacity per hour.

"The introduction of one-man-one-hectare agric programmes made us to empower civil and public servants with 4B Naira agric loan. We also assessed the CBN Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme (CACS) and Anchor Borrowers facilities for the empowerment of the farmers.

In our efforts to give the State a conducive physical and social environment, we made street light available in the streets and township roads in the metropolis.

" The flyovers all have street light to improve night life, enhance security and increase the business altitude of the State. We also connected major junctions of the State with CCTV cameras to track criminals, we installed traffic light in the major roundabouts to ensure traffic control and a viewing centre that provides security satellite for the State.