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By Akanji Alowolodu, Bauchi
One thousand beneficiaries mostly women and youths have been empowered by the Bauchi State Government with various items including cash amounting to the sum of N99m.
The items included sewing and knitting machines, talia making materials, motorcycles, vehicles, jerry cans of groundnut oil and others given out on Sunday at Itas-Gadau and Jama’are local government areas of the state.
The State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed on Sunday distributed the occupational equipments which he said was part of his social welfare scheme tagged ‘Kaura Economic Empowerment Programme’ (KEEP) designed to be implemented across the 20 local government areas.
He further explained that in each of the local governments, 500 people would benefit from the gesture adding that “so far these were the 8th local governments that benefited from the gesture” .
The governor said in Itas Gadau that , the items distributed which included commercial motorcycles, cash capitals, grinding and sewing machines were worth N49 million.
According to him, N50 million was expended in the empowerment scheme in Jama’are saying his administration is mindful of the need to lift people out of poverty.
The governor further stated that monitoring and evaluation mechanism was put in place to ensure that the occupational materials are not diverted but reach the right beneficiaries.
He then advised the beneficiaries to judiciously use items to boost their businesses and in turn get others to work for them which will make them gainfully employed as well as becoming employers of labor.
Bala Mohammed stressed that the aim of the programme is to reduce poverty in the state especially among women and youths who are the most vulnerable in the society.
The Chairmen of the two benefitting Councils of Itas-Gadau and Jama’are in their separate remarks during the ceremony, commended the state government for the empowerment Programme saying that it will go a long way in reducing poverty among the people.
They separately called on the government to bring more dividend of democracy to the people at the grassroots who are the majority but neglected in the distribution of social amenities.
