Joyce Nwabuisi
Three thousand (3,000) Petty Traders in Aba North and South Federal Constituency have benefited from the empowerment scheme, grants and business start-up kits of the lawmaker representing the constituency at the Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Chimaobi Ebisike.
The Federal lawmaker had at the weekend in Aba empowered 1,000 traders at the Free Zone Area of Ariaria Interntional Market with free cash grant of N5,000, while N2,000 traders within the Constituency recievied double coated umbrella and aprons.
According to him: “We empowered a set of beneficiaries and concluded the training and empowerment of some other people in my constituency today. The empowerment programme commenced earlier this week, I pray the participants will benefit and improve their socio-economic circumstances with this opportunity.
“This is not our first empowerment programme in Aba North and South. We have empowered so many people, through assistance from different agencies of Government.
“After the completion of the three programmes, we empowered the participants with business startup and expansion funds to start or expand their businesses in their competence areas,” he explained.
However, before the empowement programme, Hon. Ebidike had also flagged-off the Free Bus Services for School Students and Pupils, as well as Traders within the Federal Constituency.
In his remarks before flagging off the Free Bus Services, the Arch Bishop of Methodist Church, Aba Arch Diocese, most Rev. Joseph Ogbonnaya Nnaona said that Chief Chimaobi Ebisike has touched every community in Aba North and South Federal Constituency with his good representation.
He applauded him for practising politics of development in the area, with his numerous empowerment and infrastructure contributions within one year and six months in the National Assembly and called the people to take the kind gesture seriously with the commencement of the free school bus services.
Some of the beneficiaries who benefitted from the empowerment including Mrs Ujunwa Okechukwu, described the lawmakers gesture as the best way to reduce unemployment and be self-reliant, adding that “we must commend Ebisike for touching the lives of his constituents through the empowement programe,”
A community leader, Mr Ugochukwu Kingsley who enumerated the Ebisike Federal Representative’s achievements, said that he knows at least over 3,000 beneficiaries who have benefitted from his empowerment programmes and has built 86 roads in Aba.
He added that the lawmaker has distributed over 1,000 grinding machines, sewing machines, as well as built some schools in his constituency including the ongoing construction of Nguru Mbaise, Akoli Imenyi, Nkwere Aborigines – a story building each – as town halls.
Other beneficiaries appreciated Ebisike, admitting his impactful representation in Aba North and South Federal Constituency.