Morolake Oluwatosin
House of Representatives Member representing Kachia/Kagarko Federal Constituency of Kaduna State, Hon. Gabriel Saleh Zock, has supported 1,000 women and youths in his constituency, with the sum of N100 million as business grant
No fewer than 900 of the women and youth who were selected from the 22 wards that make up the Federal Constituency, were given N50,000 each, while about 100 others with outstanding business proposals were given between N300,000 and N7 million.
Hon. Zock who carried out the constituency empowerment programme in collaboration with the National Productivity Centre, said the gesture was aimed at empowering the women and youths to start or uplift their businesses, so that they can be financially independent.
Addressing the beneficiaries in Kachia on Saturday, the Lawmaker urged them to utilise the fund judiciously, so that they can become financially independent and also assist others.
“This empowerment grant is in response to the economic situation of the country. We are aware of the challenges of the masers. So, this empowerment is to show that we are with the masses by lifting our constituents, to help them start up businesses and for farmers to get farm inputs, which will assi them to get a better living.
“As a way of ensuring judicious use of the fund, we have collaborated with a micro finance bank which will disburse the fund and monitor it. We are also confident, because every beneficiary has proven to us beyond reasonable doubt, what they will do with the money.
“We have also through the micro finance bank trained the beneficiaries on business management. We are going to monitor their business performance through the micro finance bank.
“Our plan is not to empower people to use the money to feed, we are empowering them to become employers of Labour, so that in the nearest future, they can also empower other people. In that way, we will have a better constituency,” he said.
Speaking at the event, Deputy Speaker, Kaduna State House of Assembly, Hon. Henry Danjuma, said the empowerment will go a long way in alleviating poverty in the constituency.
While commending the House of Representatives Member for the gesture, the Deputy Speaker called on the beneficiaries to ensure judicious use of the fund.
One of the beneficiaries, Samuel Umar, expressed appreciation to Hon. Zock for the gesture, saying that, he would use the fund to buy farm input to boost yields of his ginger and maize farm.