ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT: A LOW-HANGING FRUIT IN TACKLING HUNGER, POVERTY – OGU/BOLO CARETAKER CHAIRMAN DECLARES*
Since assuming office on 20th of June 2024, the Chairman Caretaker Committee of Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area, Rt. (Hon) Evans Bapakaye Bipi, DSSRS, JP has made economic empowerment a.k.a stomach infrastructure his top priority and a strategic goal of his administration.
His ultimate goal is to mitigate the scourge of poverty, hunger and hopelessness among the people and create wealth at the grassroots.
He sees economic empowerment as the most practical and effective means of addressing poverty and hunger.
In fulfillment of his promise to empower the people by providing funds as business grants to support small-scale businesses at the grassroots, the Ogu/Bolo Caretaker Chairman had on 17th July, 2024 flagged-off a monthly economic empowerment scheme.
Over 800 persons across the 12 wards of the Local Government Area have benefited so far from the scheme which aims at lifting the rural poor out of hunger and poverty as well as boosting household economy in the area.
This comes barely one month after the inauguration of Caretaker administration in Rivers State by His Excellency, Governor Siminalayi Fubara with a charge on the Caretaker Chairmen to initiate policies that will improve the lives of the people at the grassroots in line with the ‘Rivers People First’ mantra of the Governor.
The Ogu/Bolo Council Boss had in his inaugural speech during the swearing-in of members of the Caretaker Committee promised to focus on policies that have direct impact on the lives of the people such as economic empowerment a.k.a stomach infrastructure and human capital development, amongst other people-oriented policies.
He had also during his familiarization visit to the communities on needs assessment promised to embark on a monthly economic empowerment scheme across the 12 Wards of Ogu/Bolo.
The initiative is anchored on his strong believe that economic empowerment is a low-hanging fruit in addressing hunger and poverty in the society.
He believes that empowering individuals economically is the surest means of unlocking a life free from hunger and poverty.
The beneficiaries of his empowerment scheme are petty traders, fishermen/women, small-holder farmers and artisans including the Youths of Ogu/Bolo.
While some received the funds to revive and grow their small-scale businesses others received it as start-up capital to set up businesses of their choice.
Suffice it to state that this laudable economic empowerment initiative by the Ogu/Bolo Caretaker Chairman Evans Bipi will have a far-reaching impact on the lives of the beneficiaries with huge multiplier effect on their families and communities.
There was palpable excitement among the people across the 12 Wards of Ogu/Bolo when the bank alert trickled into the phones of the beneficiaries during the disbursement process.
Recall that when the Ogu/Bolo Caretaker Chairman Evans Bipi made the promise to embark on the economic empowerment programme during his needs assessment visit to the communities it was received with mix feelings.
While many expressed excitement with high optimism others had their doubt about the fulfillment of the promise base on the preponderance of failed similar political promises of the past.
However, the fulfillment of the promise by the Ogu/Bolo Caretaker Chairman has not only changed the negative public perception but has restored the confidence of the people on the Local Government system.
Beneficiaries of the empowerment programme in the various Wards of Ogu Town, Bolo Town, Wakama Community, Ikpo-Ama, Ele and Owu-ogono coastal communities went wild in jubilation when they received bank alerts of the business grants.
They expressed appreciation to the Ogu/Bolo Caretaker Chairman and promised to use the funds for the purpose it was meant for.
“My name is Abika Douglas from Ward 9 Bolo, I’m a beneficiary of the economic empowerment programme by the Ogu/Bolo Caretaker Chairman Rt. Hon. Evans Bipi, I just received a huge amount of money, they say it is a business grant, it came to me as a surprise, I have not received this kind of financial support from any government or politician before, it is the first of its kind, I am so excited, I will use the money to grow and expand my business”
“I’m Ayikanime Martins from Ward 10 Bolo, I am a happy beneficiary of the business grant by the CTC Chairman of Ogu/Bolo, I have been looking for money to start a small business to support the upkeep of my family in this hard economy, I couldn’t get any help from the places I had high hope but today God has used our Caretaker Chairman Rt. Hon. Evans Bipi to bless me with the business money. I am so happy, I can’t contain my joy. I want to thank the Council Chairman for this big relief”.
“My name is Sarah Dennis from Ward 3 Ogu, I am super excited for the money given to me by our Caretaker Chairman for business. I didn’t expect this much coming this soon from him barely two weeks after he promised to do empowerment. The money will help me grow my business and make more profit. I want to say a very big thank you to the Caretaker Chairman of Ogu/Bolo Rt. Hon. Evans Bipi for remembering and empowering ordinary people like us, I also want to thank our Governor for appointing him as Caretaker Chairman”.
Policy observers have hailed the economic empowerment approach by the Ogu/Bolo Caretaker Chairman Rt. Hon. Evans Bapakaye Bipi describing it as unarguably the simplest and most powerful ways of combating the exacerbating poverty and hunger in the country.
They asserted that if he could lift over 800 individuals at the grassroots out of ravaging hunger in just one month in office, he will achieve more in the months ahead if he sustains his monthly economic empowerment scheme.
@OGU/BOLO LGA MEDIA
