Lagos Rep, SMEDAN Empower Constituents

Peter Uzoho

Member representing Eti-Osa Federal Constituency of Lagos State in the House of Representatives, Hon. Ibrahim Babajide Obanikoro and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) have held a first of its kind empowerment programme for members of the constituency.

At the empowerment programme held recently, financial grants were given to petty traders to support and grow their businesses while motorbikes were donated to resident associations and some security operatives to aid security activities in their communities.

The programme was basically aimed at alleviating poverty, enhancing human capital development as well as tackling insecurity in Eti-Osa.

Speaking at the event, Obanikoro said he was happy for finally living his passion of representing the people.

He also reiterated the importance of petty traders in the society, stressing that empowering them was of utmost importance to his administration.

He said: “I have no iota of doubt in me that this grant will increase your capital base, and with your hardwork and survival instincts, the grant will be doubled in the next twelve months; which means you will be better off than you are today. I believe in your ability and I hope that you will not let me down.

“I have always sought various avenues and maximised every opportunity to deliver the dividends of democracy to you, my constituents. We have been able to help some constituents in securing employment, we have also helped in the admission placement of some of the children of our people into tertiary and basic institutions respectively.

“We waded in to help in the redeployment of some constituents who were posted to volatile areas for their youth service, and in the spirit of continuity, there is an ongoing project (the building of a clinic) that we just started in Lafiaji area of Eti Osa.

“This project was initially proposed by my predecessor, and was included in the just concluded budget. Therefore, the onus is on us to ensure the project becomes a reality, and I believe we will complete it.”

He, however, urged the beneficiaries of the empowerment programme to make good use of the grant as he was very optimistic it would yield good returns for them