From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
Governor Hope Uzodimma has said his government will empower another set of Imo people under the programme”Imo N-CARES.
Uzodimma, who disclosed this, at the weekend, during an event marking the empowerment of 25,000 Imo people under the Imo N- CARES programme, said the essence of the programme is to tackle poverty in the state.
The empowerment is being coordinated through the office of Commissioner for Finance and Coordinating Economy, Doris Uzoka-Anite, who is also the Imo State steering committee chairman on the project.
In his remarks at the event which took place at the Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu Square, Owerri, Governor Uzodimma declared his government is determined to recover Imo State from poverty and hardship.
He said five people per polling unit in the state will receive instant alert of N30,000 and subsequent alerts of same amount in the coming months.
The governor further announced that today, another batch of 27 persons per polling unit in the state will be empowered through the same programme.
The governor said: “The Federal Government in its wisdom, working with the World Bank and states decided to create a programme called ‘Nigeria Cares’ meant to alleviate the sufferings occasioned by the incidence of COVID-19.
“After the events of COVID-19, so many of our sons and daughters lost their businesses, so many lost their jobs, and life became meaningless for them.
“Then came the gunmen and so many buildings were destroyed and so many people lost their lives.Then came the flooding and so many people lost their farms, and some also lost their businesses.
“Today, we have selected five persons from each of the 4,758 polling units in Imo State for the first batch and before you leave this place today, you will receive the alerts in your telephones.”
The icing on the cake was when the governor told the recipients that “it is not a loan. It is a grant. You are not expected to pay back or pay interest. Imo State signed under this programme to empower our people.”
However, the governor also advised the beneficiaries to use the money they will be getting meaningfully to look after themselves and their families and warned them not to use the money for drinking alcohol, taking drugs or to go into crime and criminality.
He told the beneficiaries not to give gratification from the money to anybody who may claim they put their names on the list.
He announced that each of the beneficiaries will receive N30,000, to be followed by receipts every month in like sum.
The governor used the occasion to express gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for approving N-CARES and also for allowing the states to key into the programme.
Governor Uzodimma said his administration plans to empower 120,000 people every month, effective Friday, December 16, 2022.
Uzodimma urged the people to appeal to detractors who are working to destroy Imo State to desist as God will not allow them, emphasising that he has come to work and rescue Imo from poverty.
He promised to continue to empower Imo indigenes through the Imo N-CARES programmes to cushion the effect of COVID-19 and the recent flood disaster.
