By Adebisi Adeyemi Lagos, Nigeria
Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State on Tuesday stated that his administration has empowered and provided succor to about a million and one hundred thousand people in Oyo State through its welfarist programmes including the Ajumose Food bank, poverty alleviation and other empowerment programmes in the last 6years.
The Governor revealed that about N2bn has been invested as seed money to another set of 100,396 grassroots women.
The governor stated this during the 6th Ajumose Ramadan Package to Women, & Orphanages held at the Government House, noting that his administration has paid 2106 visits to all the 351 wards in the state in the last six years to distribute various empowerment and poverty alleviation packages to women, widows, orphans, aged, the needy, children and the general public.
Governor Ajimobi explained that 612,000 people have benefitted from the 351 wards in the State from the Ajumose food bank as well as 6600 orphanages, 3000 widows and 6000 aged, noting that the government has expended over N200m on the Ajumose food bank.
He noted that another set of 286,961 women from the 33 local governments, stressing that 100,396 grassroots women have also been empowered with deep freezers, generators and N20,000 investment seed money to make them self-sufficient.
Sen. Ajimobi stated further that 51,000 households’ women have benefitted from the food bank, 20,000 widows as well as 28,500 aged people empowered in each zone of the state, saying that the Ajumose food bank and the empowerment programmes are being organized to ensure full benefits to women in the Socio-Economic programmes of the state.
According to him, “We are committed to providing adequate care, protection, social rehabilitation services for the society’s less privileged, women and children. We are a government of the people and we are dedicated to bringing succor to the needy.
“Our humanitarian record is second to none and no administration in the state has surpassed our achievements in empowerment and helping the needy. We will not rest on our oars and no amount of distraction from the enemies of the people can make us change our plans and resolutions to make the people of the state benefit immensely from our social welfare packages,” Senator Ajimobi explained.
Speaking at the event, the Wife of the Governor, Mrs. Florence Ajimobi reiterated that the state government will not relent in making life meaningful for the people of the state, adding that the present administration is sensitive to the plight of mothers and children.
She said “this is why it is essential to give gifts to people especially during the Ramadan period. We want them to enjoy the fasting period and we believe this will make a very good impact on the people.”
Mrs. Ajimobi appreciated Governor Ajimobi for always coming to the aid of the women, children and aged in the state and consequently urged him to do more despite the financial constraints facing states in the country.
