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By Akanji Alowolodu, Bauchi
Bauchi State Governor, Sen Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir on Wednesday distributed empowerment items worth about N150m to a total of 1000 beneficiaries in Shira and Giade local government areas of the state.
The distribution of the items was part of the ongoing empowerment Programme in all the 20 local government areas of the state with 500 beneficiaries from each LGA who mostly youths and women being the beneficiaries.
The Governor while speaking in Yana, headquarters of Shira local government area, pointed out that the initiative was meant to enable the beneficiaries establish businesses of their own or boost the existing ones.
He said that the 1000 beneficiaries in the two local government got sewing and grinding machines, she – goats, he-goats, motorcycles, vehicles while others were empowered with N50,000 each to start businesses of their choices.
According to him, the scheme which is under his programme tagged ‘Kaura Economic Empowerment Programme’ (KEEP) is expected to cover all the 20 local government areas of the state.
He said that the program was deliberately designed to address unemployment in the state, reduce poverty among the people and create more businesses for self reliance.
In Giade, the Governor urged the beneficiaries to put the items they received to effective use so that it will generate more for them thereby making them employers of labour which will in turn make others become beneficiaries indirect.
Bala Mohammed assured that his administration will put in more funds to ensure that the scope of the programme was expanded to be able to accommodate more people of the state in order to reduce poverty.
The governor stressed that his administration is desirous of pulling citizens out of poverty and joblessness hence it initiated the empowerment programme.
In the two LGAs in the course of his address, the Governor warned traditional rulers to stop selling farmlands indiscriminately saying such action has caused the incessant clashes between farmers and herders in the state.
In his remarks, the chairman of Shira LGC, Mahmud Abba, expressed appreciation to the Governor for carrying his people along in delivering dividends of democracy.
The chairman who said Governor Bala Mohammed has renovated over 70 schools in Shira local government, commended him for the ongoing renovation of the 20 local government Secretariats in the state.
He however called on the beneficiaries not to sell the items but make good use of them in order to become self reliant.
In the same vein, the Executive Chairman of Giade LGC, commended the Governor for the initiatives saying that his people have been waiting for their turn.
The Giade Council Chairman said that the programme will go a long way in greatly complementing what his Council is doing in the area of poverty eradication and empowerment.
It will be recalled that, the state government under the scheme had distributed over 1,000 tricycles and buses through various transport unions for commercial purposes to drivers on loan.
