By NWAORGU FAUSTINUS C

A winner has emerged in the May 2020 edition of the ‘Help the Smart Worker’ competition, organized by political pressure group, the Princewill’s Political Associates (PPA) specifically for entrepreneurs, youths and residents of Rivers State who are engaged in small, micro and medium business ventures and all forms of smart work in the state. The monthly prize is a cash grant of N150,000.00.

The contest, which is a brainchild of the PPA leader, Prince Tonye T. J. T. Princewill, is also intended to encourage residents of the state to venture into productive economic activities which in turn will lead to job creation, prosperity and economic development in the state.

Ms. Naomi Duke whose business proposal was targeted on the expansion of her Interior Decoration/Household Makeover business was selected as the most viable by the panel of judges. The winner of the April edition was a barbing salon owner who was seeking to open a second shop.

Ms. Duke is also a grassroots mobiliser and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers state. She has been running her interior design company, DASHIB Designs, for slightly more than six years. Her proposal was chosen ahead of two other proposals, one on expansion of mini restaurant and the other, a fresh fruit/vegetable business, in a keenly contested competition which had over 1,000 contestants, was very smart, very concise, very detailed on impact and limited itself to the available budget plan.

In her remarks after the live online announcement as the winner of the contest, Ms. Naomi Duke thanked the Princewill Political Associates for the gesture which she described as a pleasant surprise and a dream come true owing to the fact that it had been her heart’s desire to try to increase the capacity and efficiency of her business this year.

She called on other entrepreneurs and youths especially women in business and in politics to take advantage of this platform to increase and improve their productivity instead of solely relying on political handouts. She further wished the participants of the June 2020 edition, good luck.

Ms. Duke prayed God to reward the leader of the PPA, Prince Tonye Princewill, abundantly for his love for his people, his state and the country at large.

Speaking on behalf of PPA, Mr. Emmanuel Dagogo, congratulated Ms. Duke and advised her on the need to be a good ambassador for other women politicians in business by putting the prize money into judicious use. He also called on the general public to stay safe and adhere to medical advice to curtail the spread of COVID-19 which is currently on the rise in the state.