From Layi Olanrewaju, Ilorin
The Kwara State Government has reiterated its commitment to the development of local content in various trades, including agricultural produce.
The Senior Special Assistant to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Community Intervention, Kayode Oyin-Zubair, stated this on Tuesday during an interaction with women potters at Dada (Okekere) in Ilorin East Local Government Area.
The women were excited to receive the governor’s aide as the occasion afforded them an opportunity to appreciate the governor for extending the recently disbursed micro grants to a good number of them, which they said was the first of its kind.
According to Oyin-Zubair, ‘His Excellency is passionate about lifting this place to an enviable standard for enterprise and tourism. We have demonstrated to you that our government keeps promises and that was the reason for including your members in our list of beneficiaries when we disbursed the micro grants.
‘We are here again to reassure you of the commitment of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq at making life more meaningful and bringing modern technology into your trade for you to be part of the new global trend.
‘Your requests are receiving attention and the governor is committed to everything as contained in his Community Driven Rural Development (CDRD) agenda. I know you have about 300 members, please group yourselves into smaller entities, we shall be back to inform you on the way forward.’
Speaking earlier, Alhaja Raliat Saka, who is the leader of all women potters, requested for the introduction of machines and tools into the centre by the government to enhance production and aesthetics.
‘Our children are vast in this art but they are not willing to do it this way (manual), if they see technological advances in what we do, they will return home to do it better.
‘We want to be part of the various interventions government will be giving in future, we have never benefitted any form of financial support except the last micro grants you extended to us about three weeks ago. They have used our names to rake in funds in the past. We pray that the governor and you will continue to record more successes.
‘We are willing to be grouped into governable societies like cooperatives to access funds and we shall be diligent to pay back. We need comfort stations as well,’ Saka said.