The Member representing Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon (Obong) Emmanuel Ukpong-udo, has disclosed the disbursement of N100 million for a large-scale empowerment programme that will focus on improving the businesses and, by extension, the lives of his constituents in the year 2020.
Speaking at his residence on Christmas Eve., Hon. Emmanuel Ukpong-udo noted that as much as he is being led to provide one form of soft empowerment or the other to his people nearly every fortnight, based on need, he has approved a wider-reaching and more robust empowerment programme as a new year gift to his constituents.
The programme, which is under the aegis of “Macaire Enterprise Development,” will be carried out on a monthly basis in form of a ward-to-ward business development tour for beneficiaries within his constituency.
The first phase which commences in January 2020, will be targeted at financing business startups as well as sustaining existing businesses, and will provide grants ranging from N500,000 to N1,500,000 to each beneficiary with a minimum of 8 entrepreneurs being selected in each of the 21 wards of the Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency.
Emmanuel Ukpong-udo who has been giving gestures as this, in bettering the lives of his community even before assuming his current office, stated that this programme corroborates Governor Udom Emmanuel’s drive and commitment to entrepreneurial development for all AkwaIbomites and will run monthly for the entire year as he pursues a completely different approach to grassroots empowerment, away from the conventional “one-time, one-term, one-tenure empowerment” of constituents.
The Federal Lawmaker also stressed that the financial support are non-refundable grants and not loans, but in a bid to ensure judicious use of this opportunity in line with the intended objectives of this programme, business consultants have been contracted to counsel, supervise and monitor the beneficiaries to ensure that funds are not diverted to other purposes.
He promised that the second phase of the programme will kick-off upon the completion of this phase, and assured constituents that he remains committed to their overall wellbeing and development, like he promised during his pre-election campaign.
