The Federal Government is to empower the Chibok Community in Borno State with farming equipment and other skill acquisition accessories worth N210 million naira with a view to revitalising the economy of the area, after the unfortunate unsettling of the Community in 2014 due to the kidnapping of school girls from the Girls Secondary School, Chibok.
The Minister of Women Affairs, Barrister (Mrs) Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, disclosed this today when she met with a delegation from Chibok Community, led by its District Head, Engr. Ahmadu Usman, in her office in Abuja.
Mrs Grace Njoku, the Head of Press and Public Relations in the ministry, said in a press release that the minister stated that the funds were raised after due consultation with the management of the American University, Yola, where it was agreed that 50% of the monies paid by the Federal Government as school fees for the kidnapped Chibok girls should be invested back into assisting the affected families and community in order to raise their standard of living.
Kennedy-Ohanenye informed that this was aimed at giving the affected families as well as community at large, a form of relief from the psychological trauma experienced after the terrible incident, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the present administration.
The minister, 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, amongst others in order to improve the Community’s means of livelihood as well as for socio-economic growth and development.
Also speaking, the Director-General, Maryam Babangida National Women Development Centre, Dr. Asabe Bashir, stated that 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 so as to ensure the realization of the policy thrust of the Tinubu Administration.
In his response, the District Head, Chibok Community, Engr. Ahmadu Usman, thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in particular, minister of Women Affairs, Barrister (Mrs) Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, 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.
He assured that when procured, the equipment will help to boost the economy of the community, state and nation at large, assuring that the community will put them to good use for the benefit of the affected families and community.
