BY CHIGOZIE EZEH
In an effort to revive the local economy, the Federal Government is providing the Chibok community in Borno State with farming equipment and other accessories for skill development valued at N210 million.
This comes after the community was forcibly relocated in 2014 as a result of the abduction of schoolgirls from the Girls Secondary School, Chibok.
Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, made the disclosure in an audience with a delegation from Chibok community, led by its District Head, Ahmadu Usman, who visited her office in Abuja.
She said the money was raised after careful consideration with the American University, Yola’s management, who agreed that 50 per cent of the funds paid for the kidnapped Chibok girls’ tuition by the Federal Government should be used to help the families and community to improve their standard of living.
According to Kennedy-Ohanenye, this was done in accordance with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda and was intended to provide some measure of respite from the psychological trauma that the afflicted families and the community as a whole had endured following the horrific tragedy.
Kennedy-Ohanenye, who expressed her ministry’s commitment to the wellbeing of children, women and the vulnerable in the society, explained that through the collaboration, the American University would use the N210 million raised, to procure industrial machines for milling of rice, corn, solar pumping machine (for irrigation farming), fish grilling machine, sewing machines, tricycle trucks, among others to improve the community’s means of livelihood as well as for socio-economic growth and development.
Director General, Maryam Babangida National Women Development Centre, Asabe Bashir, said the empowerment of the Chibok community will go a long way to restoring some form of hope in the lives of members of the community
She called on the Chibok beneficiaries to key into the project to ensure a transformation of their living standard to ensure the realisation of the policy thrust of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration.
In his response, District Head, Chibok community, Usman thanked President Bola Tinubu in particular, the minister of Women Affairs, as well as the management and staff of the ministry for the laudable initiative which is aimed at reviving, empowering and restoring hope to the community after the tragic incident that befell it in 2014.
Assuring that the community will put them to good use for the benefit of the afflicted families and community, he promised when the equipment is purchased, it will help to enhance the economy of the community, state, and the nation at large.
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