By EGBO GRACE, Abakaliki

Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi on Wednesday said he will make no fewer than sixty thousand Ebonyians, millionaires through his empowerment program before the end of his administration come 2023.

Umahi made this known through the Commissioner for Human Capital Development and Monitoring, Mrs Ann Aligwe while celebrating World Humanitarian day in Abakaliki.

According to Aligwe, the beneficiaries will be selected from the 13 local government Area of the state.

“Our Governor Engr. David Umahi targets to make 60,000 Ebonyians millionaires through our state empowerment Program.”

“We will be rasing importers and exporters by February next year. In the importers and exporters program, 3 persons per local government will be selected and sent to China, Turkey and Dubai to import materials to Ebonyi State because of the international airport and market.

“Last week the governor approved One Hundred and Thirty Million Naira (N130,000,000) to 130 Ebonyians under SA SMEs office.

“The governor also approved another One Hundred and Thirty Million Naira (N130,000,000) for the Commissioner for Commence and Industry to disburse.

“Also another One Hundred and Thirty Million Naira (N130,000,000) was approved by the governor for the Office of business development which the commissioner will also disburse.

“Also the Commissioner for Market development will also disburse Two Hundred Million ((N200,000,000) for the market women. All this money has been giving to them for disbursement.

“Under my ministry, the governor approved Four Hundred and Fifty Million (450000000), to be giving to the three industrial clusters in the three senatorial zone. One Hundred and Fifty Million (N150000000) each..

“Because of our Governor hospitality and friendliness, Ebonyi state is the only state representing the whole South East, South-South and South West In the project the United Nations Women wants to execute.

“Deputy country Rep of United Nations Women and team came in the state to empower our women with Rice milling machines, disstoning machine, parboiling machine, stretch, generator set, and cash. They told us to take them around the local government Areas so that they will know where to site them and the project will be executed free of charge.

They have chosen to site the project at Ohaozara for the South, Onueke for the Central, Ebonyi local government for the North zone. They will also provide high yielding quality rice seedlings for Ebonyians.

“Also, there are consultants called food for all they are in Ebonyi now fixing the facilities and by the grace of God in no due time, it would be launch where we will have the complete set of those machines. Women will be the ones to mine them under cooperate societies.

“No Ebonyi state have 300,000 households in the National register with 1.290.000 individuals in the social register.

“His Excellency also told us to select all the school drop out, poor and Vulnerable in all the local government and conduct training for them which at the end. Some amount of money has been approved for the vocational college to give to them after training. they will be giving money to start up a business and those who learn automobile will be provided with machines and equipment.

“This will end blackmail, criticism against the governor and the state when it was published in one national dailies in February that about 35 states are in the social register except for Ebonyi and one other state and people where asking where is Ebonyi if he says he is empowering people why is it that he is not included in the social register.

” We are able to achieve all these things because of the way the governor has been encouraging us with his passion to ensure that every Ebonyian benefit from what they supposed to get from world Bank project or federal government.” (Text, excluding headline, courtesy Nigerian Tribune)

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