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By Aishat Bello.
As part of his quest to justify the confidence reposed in him and in fulfillment of his campaign promises, the Speaker of kogi State House of Assembly and Member representing Lokoja 1 Constituency, Rt. Hon. Umar Ahmed Imam has pledged to financially empower his Constituency women to enable them grow their businesses and also enroll the youth at the Nigeria-Korea Friendship Institute, Lokoja for extensive vocational skill empowerment.
The Speaker made the announcement during a Constituency visit to the executives of ward B, D, and E Wednesday this week, to give a mid-term report of his stewardship since his assumption of office. According to the Speaker, as an advocate of Party Supremacy, it is incumbent on him and upon every representative to return to their various constituencies to give a termly report of their achievements, challenges, and solicit for headway, saying that: “for everything I do, I want it to be Party structured”.
He pledged to empower 100 striving market women who cannot boast of N5,000 of their own to grow their petty businesses, with the charge on the Ward Executives to justly identify eligible beneficiaries who must truly be indigent.
In a way to address youth restiveness, the Speaker said he has paid for 50 entrance forms of the Nigeria- Korea Friendship Institute, Lokoja to enroll fifty passionate and enterprising youth , one each from the 50 Polling Units, to be equipped with industrial vocational skills noting that the minimum criteria for such training is Ordinary National Diploma. He stated that the essence is to get them prepared for future opportunities adding that the resuscitation of the Ajaokuta Steel Company may soon be a reality as it is part of the development agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Highlighting some of the successes recorded since his assumption of office, the Speaker said despite the challenges during the crisis he was able to redeem some of his campaign promises which is to provide support for school children even though the responsibility of a Legislator is to “convey the yearnings of the people to government and get paid some constituency allowance which I have made public” . And this has prompted people of other Constituencies to question their representatives for their own share of the allowance, and has served as a precedence to aspiring representatives.
Other achievements he enumerated include empowerment of 150 Artisans/Youth through his Right Hon. Alfa Imam Skill Acquisition and Empowerment Programme (RHAISAEP), Payment of WAEC, JAMB and NECO fees for indigent secondary school students, embarking on infrastructural/physical development in all the 5 Wards alongside human development, opening of functional Constituency office that is within the reach of his people among several achievements despite the paucity of fund.
He appealed to the Party Executives to be patient with him where he has not been able to meet their expectation 100% and enjoined them to assess him base on what he promised during his campaign and what he has been able to do in 2 years of their 4 year mandate. He assured them that his words will always be his bond even in the face of very meager earnings and privileges adding that he “ joined Politics For A Better Change”.
The various Ward Chairmen visited and some members of the Executives praised the novelty Rt. Hon. Imam has brought into Lokoja Politics, for thinking of coming back to the Party structure to report his activities in the House despite the fact that he is the No. 3 Citizen of the State. According to one of the Ward Chairmen, Mall. Liman Shehu, the chairman of ward B “ it is very rare in Nigeria politics to access a man who, after winning, will return to rejoice with his people and even gave an account of his stewardship but today Rt. Hon. Umar Ahmed Imam has proven that it is possible afterall”.
The visit continued yesterday, Thursday with Ward C and A executives hosting the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Umar Ahmed Imam.
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