6th September, 2019
By Adejoke Adeleye
The Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has enjoined beneficiaries of the “Oko owo Dapo” initiative not to see the empowerment programme as their own share of the national cake, but to see it as an avenue for economic empowerment through which they would be gainfully employed, improve their productivity, increase their income level and also become employers of labour.
Abiodun, who made this known at the launching of the “Oko wo Dapo”, an empowerment programme for women, held at the June 12 Cultural Center,Abeokuta, today said that the sustainability of the programme is a bilateral responsibility, adding that government had played its own part by providing the funding.
He, however, urged the beneficiaries to reciprocate the gesture by ensuring that the funds were utilized for the purpose it was meant for.
He said that his administration is irrevocably committed to providing a focused and qualitative governance that would create an enabling environment for Public-Private Sector Partnership (PPP) which is fundamental to the creation of an enduring economic development and individual prosperity for the people of the State, adding that more were still coming to cover all the different social strata and sectors of the State economy.
Abiodun added that it was the demonstration of the commitment of his government to make life more meaningful for the people that would encourage the private sector to partner with the state.
In her remarks, the Deputy Governor, Engr. Noimot Salako Oyedele charged the beneficiaries who were yet to receive their loan to be patient, as the delay could have been as a result of their information not tallying with bank details, adding that the loan was not a dash, but that the loan, if well harnessed could increase.
Earlier, the first lady, Mrs. Bamidele Abiodun noted that the empowerment programme sought to promote small businesses, adding that two thousand women would be empowered.