Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji has distributed N16 million grants to another set of petty and roadside traders in the state to support their businesses.
The distribution exercise was carried out through the Bureau of Community Communications for over 300 beneficiaries in Igbara-Odo, Ogotun and Igede-Ekiti .
In an interview, Director General, Bureau of Community Communications, Mary Oso- Omotosho said the exercise is another round of empowerment scheme by the state governor to assist petty and roadside traders, who expressed their love for his purposeful leadership style by producing and displaying banners in their shops from their meagre incomes.
The DG explained that the platform will be strategically utilized by the state government to extend financial empowerments to petty traders aimed at reducing poverty and boosting their businesses.
She said: “This is another round of the distribution and it is to support petty and roadside traders who have shown love to the governor with display of support banners in their different shops . This is something that the governor has found to be very amazing and he is humbled by this show of love.
“What he has been doing is to use that platform to empower them since they are roadside and petty traders to also sow into their businesses. We have done this in Ilawe-Ekiti, Odo, Igbada Odo, Ogotun and we are now in Igede-Ekiti reaching out to them.
“We gave each of them N50,000 and they are over 300 in Ogotun, Igbara Odo and Igede-Ekiti combined. The first cash grants we gave was N100,000 per trader because people kept trooping in. We made our findings and asked questions and we were told that with even N50,000, it can go a long way in impacting their businesses. So, we stepped it down to N50,000 so that it can go round the majority of them because this love is very massive.”
According to her, the cash grants distribution will be extended to other local governments in the state adding that the massive love for the governor is not limited to where the exercise had previously held in Ilawe-Ekiti and Odo community.
“The love for the governor is not limited to the communities where we have distributed alone . There are other people in other local governments and the governor has said all of them will be given money because they are petty traders. This is a way of reducing poverty and boosting their businesses. This has given us a platform to know petty traders and roadside traders to further empower them.” She concluded.
The Chairman of Igbara-Odo/Ogotun Local Council Development Area, Bukola Olowolaju hailed the Oyebanji’s administration for extending support to the vulnerable in her area saying that the donation will bring succour to the people.
The Council Chairman pledged their unalloyed support for Governor Oyebanji’s administration noting that the people of the area will massively vote for his re-election.
Her words: It is first of its kind in Ekiti. Since we have been having governments, this one is a different one. It really touched the lives of the people. Look at the way they were singing, that is to show their gratitude and level of appreciation. The money will go a long way to improve their businesses, especially the poorest of the poor and bringing it to their doorsteps means a lot to the people.
“By the time we are going to have the next election, it is going to be 100% for the governor. Their presence shows that they are really in support of the governor’s second term agenda.”
A beneficiary from Ogotun, Awuse Sodeinde heaped praises on the governor for the kind gesture and other developmental strides in the area by connecting electricity in Ogotun to the national grid.
Also, Chairman of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, Igbara Odo Branch, Michael Olaniyi said: “We are very happy about this grant due from our supporting governor who rewarded us with a little token to support our business. The business owners are very happy and I believe all Igbara Odo people will support him. Aside this, he did a lot in terms of electricity. Either you are PDP or APC, we must support him for second term”
On his part, President General of Igede Progressive Association, Austine Ibikunle hailed Governor Oyebanji for bringing development to Igede-Ekiti describing the kind gesture as unprecedented.
He declared that the people of Igede-Ekiti have reached a consensus position to support the re-election of the governor owing to his impactful and inclusive leadership in the state.
Ibikunle said: “We are very happy, we are very excited and we are committed to the BAO agenda in Igede-Ekiti. Mr Governor knows himself and he had done marvelously for us in Igede-Ekiti. We are part and parcel of this government and we have been harvesting the dividends of democracy in this town. The governor made sure that we are adequately represented in this government.
“Supporting BAO for second term is a consensus position of this town because he has demonstrated massive kind gesture to us in this town. The governor has equally demonstrated to be a strong team player and his collaboration with the National Assembly members. We will come out with our scorecard because in Igede-Ekiti, we are for BAO till 2030.”