By Bon Peters
The Chairman, Andoni Local Government Area, Rivers state, Mr Erastus Awortu has disbursed N5 million to 20 small business operators to boost their business and cushion inflation currently affecting them.
Awortu, our correspondent reports, made the disbursement in Ngo, Headquarters of the council on Thursday, during a meeting with youth leaders and security agencies in the area.
He said that the beneficiaries of the funds were entrepreneurs and smallholder business groups in the 11 wards of the council.
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According to him, each beneficiary got N250,000, which is expected to further boost their businesses, especially as the economy is currently struggling with inflation.
He stated that the support was the fourth phase in the series of the ongoing empowerment scheme by his administration.
The council boss noted that the empowerment scheme since inception, had extensively impacted small businesses and positively touched the lives of persons with disabilities, widows and vulnerable groups in the area.
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“As a council, we have been making efforts towards poverty reduction through various empowerment programmes for our people, especially our youths and women.”
“Today, we are empowering 20 youths who are engaged in various small scale businesses including; fish farming, ICT, tailoring, catering and trading.”
“This fund is part of efforts to encourage businesses at such a time when Small and Medium Enterprises are struggling to survive or out rightly shutting down.
“The welfare of the people is one of the duties of the council and I will not shy away from it because when the small enterprises thrive, families and communities will be collectively alleviated from poverty,” he said.
The Chairman however, promised to continue to dialogue with oil companies to ensure youth employment so as to check piracy and other vices attributed to poverty and unemployment.
He said he was ready to continue the development of communities even as his administration runs to an end.
One of the beneficiaries, Miss Evelyn Albert, a fashion designer commended the chairman for the gesture and promised to effectively use the fund.
Also, Miss Loveday Ugwem-Oreibot, an event planner and a confectionery commended the chairman and promised to buy an oven and other materials with her money.
