20—Vanguard, FRIDAY,
NOVEMBER 8 , 2013
War against begging:
Isoko LG empowers its people with SURE-P BY FESTUS AHON
T
HE Isoko North Local Government Transition Committee, Delta State, recently put smiles on the faces of its people by empowering over 744 traders and artisans drawn from the 13 wards that made up the council area from its proceeds of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme, SURE_P. The empowerment ceremony, which is part of government effort to eradicate poverty in the council area, was attended by all stakeholders and opinion leaders in the area, including the Secretary to the Delta State Government, SSG, Comrade Ovuozorie Macaulay The scheme was broken into three categories, namely: Small Scale Business Empowerment, Starter Packs for Artisans and Transportation. At least 470 persons got cash of N30, 000 each, while 209 artisans received different types of starter packs and 65 indigenes got one tricycle each. Speaking during the ceremony, Comrade Ovuozorie Macaulay told the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the items or cash given to them, adding that the programme was aimed at alleviating poverty in the area. Macaulay said: “We will ensure every unit benefit. We plead with the beneficiaries to put what they will get today into good use. We want to eradicate poverty in Isoko land; what we are giving today is a lifeline. “We must get out of the syndrome of perpetual begging; we do not beg in Isoko land but it has become a habit here. Someone get N50, 000 every month and still continue to beg. We shall come with second round. We shall put some people on N50, 000 monthly. Whatever happens let your loyalty be to the PDP.” Flagging off the programme, the State Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Mr Newworld Sefugha said: “I thank the chairman and all the leaders of Isoko North Local Government Area for their commitment to the well being of their people. This Local Government is among the local governments that have benefitted from the SURE_ P. Our Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, directed that the money should be saved and when it is reasonable it should be used to empower the people. This Local Government will empower 744 persons today. So
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Secretary to the Delta State Government, SSG, Comrade Ovuozorie Macaulay addressing the beneficiaries He recalled that the 120 far 6,023 persons have been Idise said SURE_P was empowered in the programme.” established to ensure that the indigenes that were engaged by Earlier in his address, chairman subsidy proceeds were the Federal Government in of the Local Government channeled to provide palliatives community services were still Transition Committee, Mr targeted at the poor and other receiving monthly stipends Samuel Idisi commended the vulnerable in the society, adding consistently, commending the Federal and State Government that it was designed to invest Federal Government, the State for making the implementation of subsidy money in social safety Governor, Dr Emmanuel SURE_P a reality at the various nets and infrastructural Uduaghan and the State local government councils in programmes that would impact Commissioner for Local Delta State, particularly in Isoko positively on the lives of the poor. Government Affairs, Mr Newworld Sefugha for the North.
approval and release of fund for the SURE_P empowerment. He said: “This empowerment will be in three different categories: 470 persons will benefit from the N30, 000 cash empowerment, 209 artisans have also been selected to receive different types of starter packs, while 65 indigenes have been carefully selected to receive tricycles as their empowerment. Cumulatively, the total of 744 beneficiaries would be empowered today to glory of God. This administration is aware of some teeming youths who have acquired vocational skills in different areas but are not able to procure the tools and materials needed to transform them into small scale entrepreneurs and we are also aware of the difficulties experienced by some of our small scale business owners hence we painstakingly selected 679 of them in this category for empowerment. “We will present equipment ranging from 56 generating sets, 56 barbing clippers, 71 sewing machines, 51 hair dressing accessories, 20 welding machines, 3 auto electrician packs, 2 video cameras, 4 aluminum fabrication packs, 2 vulcanizing machines and 4 musical equipment. Also, 65 tricycles were procured for distribution to 65 indigenes.”.
For 2,000 persons, manna cometh, courtesy of church BY EVELYN USMAN
O
YEWOLE Street in Ilupeju area of Lagos was a beehive of activity recently, as men, women, youths and children alike, thronged Divine Appointment Ministry located on number 17, to have their own fair share of free medical treatment on offer to the public. The crowd which cut across different religions and ethic s, could not contain the over 3000 sitting capacity in the ministry ’s auditorium, as many of them waited outside patiently for their turn. The free medical treatment according to the General Overseer , Rev. Ben Eragbai , was the first of its kind organised by the ministry as a way of giving back to the society. Speaking with Vanguard Metro, Eragbai disclosed that the free medical treatment included medical check_ups of the eyes and gift of free eye glasses to those who needed them. Over 1500 persons benefitted from the
eye screening and free glasses. General checks were also conducted on some of the ailing beneficiaries by doctors and free drugs administered. One of the beneficiaries who spoke with VM could not hold back tears as she described the church’s gesture as an answer to her prayer . According to the elated woman who simply gave her name as Iya Sherrif: “I have been ill for a week now and have no money to feed let alone to buy drugs. When I went to the General Hospital, l was and asked to go for laboratory test to ascertain what was wrong with me, I could not afford the money. So I had to return home and started taking agbo( herbs). But I could only afford N50 worth which unfortunately , did not provide the required solution. I was just on my way to a visit a relative with the intention of borrowing some money with which to go for the test when I sighted a large crowd here. On enquiry, I discovered they were offering free treatment. At first I
thought I won’t be attended to since I am not a Christian. But when I went inside , a woman who saw my condition swapped positions with me and to my surprise, a test was conducted and I was given free drugs just like that”. She appealed to this reporter to give her some money to buy food to eat before taking her drugs. On what motivated the gesture, Rev. Eragbai recalled
how his parents could not afford medical care when he was much younger. He said, “I am supposed to be from a very poor background, that my parents could not afford medical care those days. When you look around and discover that you are in a position where you can help people, nothings stops you from doing it and that is what we are doing today by the grace of God.
Rev Eragbai (left) handing a free pair of medicated glasses to one of the beneficiaries,while one of the doctors looks on.