As part of effort by Akwa Ibom State Governor, to support small and medium scale business owners, Gov. Udom Emmanuel on Tuesday announced empowerment programme of N10million for 50 youths and women. He said five youths would be empowered in each of the 10 wards in the Local Government Area.
Emmanuel made the announcement at the Constituency Thanksgiving Service/Briefing of Mr Onofiok Luke, Speaker Akwa Ibom House of Assembly in Nsit Ubium Local Government Area.
“As a mark of support, we also need to support what Luke is doing today.
“I will like you to select five youths per ward, making 50 in the 10 wards; at least two must be female, out of those 50 youths and women to support the laudable programme.
‘I like to support your business initiative with the sum of N200, 000 for each of them to be self reliant.
“We came here to support you, we came here to show appreciation for what you have done and we came here to also thank Nsit Ubium people for their support”, Emmanuel said.
He added that the state government was building three power sub-stations to improve power supply in the state.
Emmanuel promised that his administration would change and impact positively on the lives of the people in the area. According to him, when the power station is completed, it will help to reduce the cost of the businesses engaged in by the youths and women of the area.
He said that his administration was determined to provide jobs for the teeming unemployed youths in the state.
Luke said that the empowerment programme was to eradicate poverty and ensure prosperity for his immediate constituency toward sustainable development.
“These empowerment programmes represents not just the distribution of resources, but the continuation of a journey towards sustainable employment, increase income and a prosperous future for the beneficiaries and their dependants.”
Luke said he had introduced skill development scheme and constituency support programme to the empowerment programme.
“One hundred students will be given N20,000 each as bursary, while 10 indigent students will receive N100,000 worth of scholarship each.
‘In addition, five law students will receive N100, 000 each to support their studies at Law School”, Luke said.
The Speaker said that the beneficiaries of the support items, start-up capitals and business support funds had been grouped to reflect the people in various socio-economic strata with specific areas of needs.
He noted that the support was in partnership with Mrs Martha Emmanuel’s Pet Project, Family Empowerment and Youth Reorientation Programme (FEYReP).
One of the beneficiaries, Mr Imo Idem, expressed appreciation to God for being among the selected persons, saying that he would use the money given to him judiciously.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the empowerment items valued about N100 million includes saloon, cars, mini buses, scholarship for students, grinding machines, generators and vulcanising machines.
Others include motorcycles, hairdressing machines, sewing machines, welding machines, desktop computers and text books, among others.