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Governor Mohammed presents a grinding machine to one of the benefiaries
By Akanji Alowolodu, Bauchi
Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed on Tuesday flagged off his administration’s empowerment program worth over N130m for beneficiaries in Ganjuwa and Darazo Local Government Areas of the state.
While flagging off the programme in Kafin Madaki and Darazo respectively, the Governor said that the empowerment program under the Kaura Economic Empowerment Programme (KEEP) is a deliberate effort to holistically address the problem of unemployment and poverty in the state especially among youth and women groups.
Bala Mohammed also said that his administration is desirous of pulling the majority of the people of the state particularly poorest of the poor out of poverty.
He further said that items covered for the empowerment include, provision of stater packs and N50, 000 cash for 500 persons per local government, provision of three motorcycles in each of the wards of the twenty local governments for ward chairmen, ward coordinators and ward youth leaders as beneficiaries.
Others he said are the provision of one N100, 000 cash to women and youth leaders in each of the twenty local governments as well as the provision of five buses to each of the local government areas of the state.
He said that, “Today’s occasion is a continuation of the formal launching of the programme in all the 20 Local Government Areas of the state.These items are just part of the package the State Government earmarked for its empowerment programme.”
The Governor added that, “We are determined to give the necessary support to our poverty alleviation and economic empowerment agencies to effectively and efficiently discharge their responsibilities.”
He also announced plans by the state government to support artisans and traders across the state with five hundred million naira as soft loan to advance their business activities.
Bala Mohammed therefore reassured the people of the state that his administration is irrevocably committed to the upliftment of their condition of living through various economic empowerment programmes and appealed for continued support and cooperation towards the realization of the noble objective.
Commenting on the criticism by his opponents against irregularities in the payment of salaries in the state, the Governor said that the state government has taken the necessary measures to restore sanity in the system.
He also said that as a government that believed in accountability and transparency, his administration will not fold it arms and watch public funds being siphoned by some unscrupulous civil servants.
The state first lady, Hajiya Aisha Bala Mohammed who was highly delighted to be part of the occasion, applauded the support of Governor Bala Mohammed to women and youth across the state.
On his part, the State PDP Chairman Hamza Koshe Akuyam, said the governor’s empowerment programme is part of the manifestor of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to tackle poverty and unemployment.
The Governor, First Lady, Party Chairman and other dignitaries at the two ceremonies took turns to handover the items to the beneficiaries who are mostly women and youths.
