The Governor of Ebonyi State, Engr. David Nweze Umahi, has flagged
off his administration's empowerment programmes for civil servants
and youths in the state.
The beneficiaries of the first phase of the programmes comprise 8,000 civil servants and 4,000 youths.
At the ceremony which held at the Abakaliki Township Stadium in
Abakaliki, the governor noted that a lot of people keyed into the
programmes and expressed his gratitude to them for believing in the
initiatives aimed at boosting food production in the state and economic
potential of the people.
While he explained that no amount of
money would be enough to satisfy the yearnings of the people in time of
economic recession, Umahi advised those profiled for the schemes
to properly utilise the funds in order to increase their income.
The governor, according to a statement on Wednesday by his Chief Press
Secretary, Emma Anya, said, "I'm very convinced that God wants to use
Ebonyi State to set example for the project of Nigeria.
"The
speed and the spirit at which our civil servants have demonstrated in
support of this programme can be nothing other than divine. I've said
that no governor and nobody in the kind of society we are now can
permanently please all the civil servants. It is not possible.
"It is the fault of the situation we've all found ourselves but we offer
you an opportunity to change our world and better our days."
The governor, who announced that Thursdays and Fridays had been
declared work-free days for participants to enable them go to their
farms, stressed that opportunities abound in agriculture, especially in
the areas of fishery, rice and cassava cultivations.
"Some people may not have full understanding of what we are about to
begin but go and talk to those that benefitted from FADAMA III last
year. Talk to those that benefitted from IFAD last year. If 6,000 plus
got N4 billion into their coffers within four months, then find out
whether we are joking," he said.
To prove that his government
was prepared to make the programmes a success, he added, "Mondays,
Tuesdays and Wednesdays will be working days only for those who are
participating in this programme but then Thursdays, Fridays and
Saturdays, the civil servants participating will be expected to be
absent from their work places so that they can go to their farms and
do their work."
The governor later distributed symbolic cheques to some beneficiaries of the empowerment programmes.
Contributing, the Deputy Governor and Chairman of the Empowerment
programmes, Dr. Eric Kelechi Igwe, emphasized that the schemes were in
fulfillment of Governor Umahi's promise to prosper the people.
In their separate remarks, the Commissioner for Economic Empowerment and
Job Creation, Chief Donatus Njoku and the State Head of Service, Dr.
Chamberlain Nwele as well as the State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour
Congress (NLC), Comrade Ikechukwu Nwafor appreciated Umahi for his
commitment towards the welfare of the people.
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