The Commissioner for Women, Children Affairs, Empowerment and Social Development, Mrs. Faith Opuene has rated Governor Douye Diri high in the area of empowerment and giving hope to women and children from the 105 wards of the state.
According to Hon. Opuene, while children with health challenges and social difficulties are being taken care of with medical treatment and proper welfare, a total of 210 persons from the 105 wards in the state are empowered with N200, 000 each to boost trading and businesses in the state.
The Commissioner for Women, Children Affairs, Empowerment and Social Development, Mrs. Faith Opuene, while speaking with the team of Bayelsa New Media, noted that the empowerment scheme which started last February during the second tenure of the present administration has ensured that indigenous businessmen and women compete favorably with their counterparts from outside the state and boost the economy of the State.
Opuene said monthly empowerment scheme started February last year,” Gov. Diri noted that we cannot be building only roads and bridges without an empowerment scheme for traders, Artisans and others. And we all know that the economy of the state is not in our hands .It is in hands of our brothers from outside the State. He felt our people should be able to measure up through empowerment as the state belong to us. And he decided to pronounce the empowerment scheme to assist those in business. But it is not free.”
“Two persons are chosen from each ward of the 105 wards. A male and Female. We have a total of 105 wards. We then have 210 persons every month with N200, 000 each. By my calculation, a total of N45million is expended to fund the empowerment scheme monthly. He has also recently increased it to four persons monthly but we are yet to start with a sum of N100million to fund it. If the beneficiaries are using it, we will recover our economy back.’
She also called on the people of the state to disregard unfounded claims of non-performance as the present administration of Governor Douye Diri is empowering the people of the state and giving hope to the hopeless in the society,” People should ensure that they vote for continuity and ensure that the empowerment of our people be sustained. We don’t throw away someone who is doing well but we vote him back to sustain the humand capital and sustainable infrastructural development in the state.”
“We must support him to get back to office for the second term.”