A lawmaker, Mr Gbolahan Yishawu, representing Eti-Osa Constituency II, Lagos State House of Assembly, has donated cash and working tools to 600 members of his constituency.
Yishawu, the Chairman, House Committee on Budget and Economic Planning, made this known on Wednesday at the 8th GOY Annual Micro-Business and Social Support Programme at his Constituency office in Ikoyi.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the three days programme started on Tuesday and would end on Thursday.
Yishawu listed the items distributed to include: cash, sewing machines, pressure washer, cake mixer, clipper and generators, work tools, groceries peculiar to certain trades such as drinks, cartons of noodles and bags of slippers.
He said that beneficiaries of the items were majorly unemployed youths, craftsmen, fresh undergraduates, the aged and widows and students residing within his constituency.
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Yishawu said the essence of the programme was to give back to the society that elected him into the office.
According to him, at the end of this programme, we would have empowered 600 constituents from the wards within his constituency and this year marks the eight editions.
“This year is an important edition, because lots of our people are really in need, due to the pandemic and even with the pandemic, we are still carrying out this programme.
“So, we had the morning and afternoon sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“We will also have morning and afternoon sessions, and we will round up everything on Thursday.
“Unlike the previous editions, we have added new gifts in terms of cash and working items.
“For example, we are giving out N50, 000 each to 50 of our constituents that have secured admission into the university to get themselves prepared.
“We also have several market women whom we always support all the time; we also have petty traders here whom we have supported with working tools.’’
Yishawu said the programme they ought to hold for eight hours in one day was spread to three days to observe the COVID-19 protocol.
The lawmaker said there were many barracks in his constituency, hence his resolve to empower youths residing in the barracks to make the business owners.
Yishawu said he had also equipped the vocational programme with modern equipment to enable the graduands to become business owners, to reduce crimes in the area.
“Even, in our vocational school, we are also equipping the institution to make them have the required equipment to teach students from our constituency.
“We gave out the computer to people that graduated in a computer programme; we also gave ovens and baking machine to people that graduated in baking.
“Though we are legislators and our role is to do oversight, make laws and represent the constituency; this is an executive assignment.
“It is important we empower the people because the state government cannot do everything alone.
“We are giving back to the community because, during elections, we made a lot of promises that we will be there with them.
“So, when there is an opportunity like this, we have to give back to them to show appreciation,’’ he said.
Commenting, Mrs Charity Ikaaro, a widow, who also benefitted, said she had been benefitting from the lawmaker’s different programmes.
Also, Mrs Alice Ejeh, Woman Leader of Ward C in Eti-Osa, said her children had benefited many times from the lawmaker’s empowerment programmes.
Thanking Yishawu, Mr Godwin Okeke, urged other Nigerian leaders to emulate his kind gesture.
Commenting, Mrs Oyinlola Ayodele, the Woman Leader, Ward B, Eti-Osa, lauded the lawmaker for his philanthropic gesture.