It was gathered that over 800 traders who are into small scale businesses in five Local Government and Local Council Development Areas received of at least, a bag of rice each, while those who sell rice among beneficiaries were given aprons.
According to the Head of Research and Development in the lawmaker’s constituency office, Mr Sulaiman Elegbede, a survey was carried out to discover those who truly lacked the wherewithal to engage in large scale business in the communities.
Speaking on the gestures, Ashafa said the gesture was based on his discovery that petty traders and food vendors who have challenges with capital to improve their businesses are much, saying the gesture was another way of empowering the needy and touching the lives of many downtrodden in the benefiting communities.
According to him, apart from his personal discovery in the benefiting communities, a survey was equally carried by the Research and Development Department team with a view to knowing the true needy of the gestures before embarking on the distribution of 900 bags of rice.
He said: “It is my personal way of assisting the needy in our midst, it’s based on my personal experience with them. It has nothing to do with politics. Many of them are food vendors and petty traders who hardly have the capital to engage in broader businesses but trade in small scale in front of their homes. Some of them sell rice at a very small scale. We have decided to carry out a survey to ensure that the gesture meet the needs of the beneficiaries and ensure the bags of rice is evenly distributed.”
“This, I think will touch more lives than doing otherwise. Some of them have children in schools that they will need to cater for, with their petty trades; such gestures will touch their lives in some ways. Very soon, more communities in the state will also be considered.”, he added.
According to Mrs Abigael Ogunsanya,”Only God will reward the donor of this gesture. For almost two years that I have been selling rice, I have not bought beyond a quarter bag, because I sell in cups . By the time I pay my children’s school fees, there is nothing left. So there is no way I can afford to buy a bag of rice to sell. With this gesture, this is a boost to my business”.
Also speaking, elated Mrs Iyabo Ayuba, a food vendor also lauded the gesture, saying the gift will not only expand her business but also touch the lives of his family. “Having a bag of rice means a lot to me and I know how long it can take me to buy 8 cups I sell in a day, but with this, I must make something out of it, she said”
Harping on the procedure for choosing the beneficiaries, Elegbede said: “It was a complex procedure; we had to go out with our research team to look for petty traders in about 80 streets within five Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas. In all, we covered over 20 communities in areas such as: Shomolu, Bariga, Kosofe LG, Ikosi- Isheri, Agboyi-Ketu, Ifako. Etc.
“Our objectives is to empower those who sell in small kiosks and those who do not have the wherewithal to rent shops. By and large, over 800 petty traders were able to benefit from the empowerment programme.”
On the criteria for selecting the beneficiaries, Elegbede said: “a survey was carried out on the number of those who sell rice in measure cups. Some sell at night, while others sell in front of their houses. We don’t need to know them before becoming beneficiaries. Once they are discovered, we send invitation letters to all of them to come and carry the bags of rice. That is the procedure. It has nothing to do with ethnic or political party affiliations. It is our new way of empowering the poor in our midst”.
He added that the communities covered include:Olowora, Isheri, Magodo,Ikosi, Alapere, Mile 12, Agoyi Ketu, Agboyi, Ori-Omi, Agboyi, Agboyi Oruba, Ajegunle, Anthony Village, Gbagada, Ifako Mende, Marryland, Oworonshoki, Bariga, Ojota and Shomolu among others.
Source: daily post
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