By Bashir Hassan Abubakar
Bauchi State Governor Senator Bala Mohammed has empowered 1,000 youths with 150mn in Warji and Ningi Local Government Areas of the State.
The Empowerment which is part of the ongoing empowerment Programme, tagged Kaura Economic Empowerment Programme (KEEP), is expected to cover all the 20 local government areas of the state.
Ningi and warji are the number 15 and 16 local Government areas that benefitted from the programme.
Distributing the Items Yesterday , Governor Bala Mohammad said that 80% of the State has been covered by the economic intervention.
Bala said the aim of the intervention is to make people of Bauchi State self-reliant by providing them with the wherewithal and conducive environment to be economically productive.
He said the programme has therefore been designed to boost economic activities in order to address problem of unemployment and alleviative poverty among our people, especially the vibrant youth and women.
Governor said, “the programme initially took off with the distribution of 1,000 tricycles (Keke NAPEP) to the erstwhile Commercial motorcycle riders, popularly referred to as ‘yan achaba. As you all know the tricycles were given out as revolving loan so that upon repayment other people would also benefit from the progrmme.”
“In addition to the 1000 tricycles, a total of 154 buses have also been procured and distributed to members of the public also as revolving loan,” he said.
The governor added that, “since the commencement of the programme an average of seventy five million Naira (N75,000,000:00), in both cash and kind, has been distributed to some selected beneficiaries in each of the Local Governments where the programme has so far been launched. The same gesture would be replicated today in Ningi and Warji Local Governments.”
“Selected beneficiaries of the programme in Ningi and Warji Local Government Areas would therefore today be given the following items, Provision of starter packs and N50,000 cash for 500 persons per Local Government, Provision of three motor cycles in each of the wards of the 20 Local Governments.”
Governor said his administration have put in place the Bauchi State Microfinance Institution Building Programme (MIFIN) to complement the Kaura Economic Empowerment Programme with the aim that this programme is to develop and strengthen Microfinance Institutions and establish linkages among the institutions and other financial institutions in order to create a viable and sustainable microfinance system.
He said, “The ultimate goal is to enhance access of the poor to financial services so as to boost the productivity of micro and small scale enterprises, thereby reducing poverty.”
In their separate remarks, the chairmen of warji, and Ningi, Mohammed Danjummai and Mahmud Hassan Tabla expressed appreciation to the governor for carrying his people along in delivering dividends of democracy. The chairmen commended the Governor for the ongoing renovation of the 20 local government Secretariats in the state.
They called on the beneficiaries not to sell the items but make good use of them in order to become self reliant.Some of the beneficiaries interviewed expressed gratitude to the Governor for the gesture, and pledged to make the best use items to boost their resources and businesses.”
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