It was accolades all round as Governor Abdullahi Sule, Rt. Hon. Danladi Jatau, Speaker Nasarawa State House of Assembly, ALGON Chairman, Hon. Aminu Muazu Maifata, Osana of Keana, HRH Alhaji Abdullahi Agbo, as well as Hon. Aliyu Bello, state Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) amongst others, poured enconmiums on Hon. Magret Elayo, Commissioner for Special Duties on Humanitarian Affairs and NGOs, for empowering 30 small-scale business women.
Hon. Magret Elayo empowered the 30 women selected from across the 13 local government areas of Nasarawa State at an event that held at the Ministry for Local Government, Community Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, on Tuesday.
Speaking as the special guest at the occassion, Governor Sule commended Hon. Elayo for the initiative aimed at boosting the economic lives of the beneficiaries who are mostly street food vendors, seamstresses and local kunu sellers.
The Governor particularly commended the humanitarian Commissioner for selecting people who deserve to be assisted and for empowering them with fifty thousand naira each as capital to further boost their businesses.
“These are people with very little working capital and she has now provided an account for everyone of them. Each beneficiary has received a deposit of fifty thousand naira. In addition, the bank seeing the initiative has also agreed that after transaction, they will put another fifty thousand naira.
“I have also heard that our Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Hon. Labaran Magaji has also donated another fifty thousand naira for each of them. But I am touched by the commitment by our Chairman, Hon. Aliyu Bello when he said some of the beneficiaries have used their working capital to get here and he is also donating five thousand naira for each of the beneficiaries as transport money to go back,” he stated.
Governor Sule equally commended the Commissioner on the process of selecting the beneficiaries, praising her for not considering either their political, religious or ethnic inclinations.
“I am also moved by the selection. Because this is my kind of style. We don’t go to ask people which political party you belong. We don’t ask them what religion they belong. We don’t ask them what ethnicity they belong. We don’t ask them whether they even like us or not.
“We just need to understand that they need help. And if they need help, we give them help. I wouldn’t have done it better than she did. This is my style. This is what I love to see. And I am happy to be here witnessing this,” he said.
He recalled that when his administration conceived the idea of establishing the Ministry for Humanitarian Affairs, it was solely out of the belief that Nasarawa State is a state with a lot of people who are in need of help.
“A lot of vulnerable people. A lot of people who have not seen the impact of government over the years. And a lot of people who are constantly looking forward to seeing some kind of impact in their lives from the government. And so we thought, one of the ways we can touch the lives of the people was to create this ministry,” he added.
The Governor aligned himself with previous speakers who showered enconmiums on Hon. Magret Elayo, commending her for all her efforts to touch the lives of the people mostly at the grassroots.
“I want to tell you without any ambiguity, very strongly that she is the right person for that particular ministry. It is one thing to give somebody a responsibility and work to do, it is another thing for that person to take it seriously and to consider it almost like a career. I think she has taken humanitarian services almost like a career and I want to thank her sincerely,” he said.
Governor Sule thereafter announced an undisclosed personal donation to the beneficiaries as part of his support to the initiative by the humanitarian Commissioner.
“Indeed, I am happy that the Hon. Commissioner for Special Duties, Humanitarian Affairs, and NGOs, Magret Elayo, came up with this particular initiative, which is purely her own initiative. It’s not something that was discussed at the executive council meeting. It was not something that any one of us advised her to do. It was purely her own initiative that she came out to do,” he added.
In her speech, the sponsor of the event, Hon. Magret Elayo, said she organized the event in order to mark the one year anniversary of Governor Sule’s second term in office.
Hon. Elayo said she is celebrating the Governor because of his genuine and sincere concern for the people of the state.
“We are not just here for the beneficiaries but we are here to celebrate you, Your Excellency. Because of what you have imbibed in us, the gift of hard work, the gift of sincerity, the gift of accountability that I put in my direction to search and look for the street food sellers women, to encourage them and to empower them,” she said.
While commending the beneficiaries for showing courage, determination and creativity in establishing and growing their small businesses, Hon. Elayo said that by supporting the 30 small business women today, she is not only changing their lives but also transforming the landscape of the society for better.
“I am proud to announce a series of initiatives and programmes aimed at providing these women with the tools, resources and opportunities they need to thrive, from access to finance, training and mentorship and networking.
“We are committed to creating an enabling environment where their businesses can flourish and their dreams can become a reality,” she assured.
She used the opportunity to reaffirm her resolve to continue to champion the cause of women empowerment to break down barriers to challenges of stereotypes and to create a more inclusive and equitable society for all.
In a goodwill message, Speaker, Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Danladi Jatau, used the opportunity of the event to explain why the assembly will continue to support and synergize with the executive arm of government.
Represented at the event by the member representing Awe North Constituency, Hon. Hudu A. Hudu, who doubles as the House Committee Chairman of Public Accounts, the Speaker the Seventh Assembly will focus on only whatever that will make positive impact on the lives of the people of the state.
“Your Excellency, you are being commended not for the fact that you are just the Governor but for the fact that you are doing what the people of Nasarawa State elected you to do,” he added.
He assured the Governor and other political appointees of the assembly’s desire to synergize with the administration of Governor Sule towards making laws that will make positive impact on the lives of the people.
On his part, ALGON and Lafia Local Government Area Chairman, Hon. Aminu Muazu Maifata, on behalf of the people residing across the 13 local government areas, expressed gratitude to the Governor for making the right choice by appointing Hon. Magret Elayo to head the Ministry for Humanitarian Affairs.