From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has put smiles on the faces of the less-privileged in Kebbi State.
Malami said every resident of Kebbi is a Nigerian and must feel the dividends of democracy, in spite of political, religious and tribal affiliations.
Recently, hundreds of indigent residents across the four emirates comprising the three senatorial districts received one form of assistance or the other through the AGF’s foundation, called Khadimiyya Initiative for Justice and Development (KIJD).
The non-governmental organisation (NGO), with offices across the 21 local government councils in the state, is said to have been reaching out to the people at the grassroots.
The recent donation saw disable persons going home with wheelchairs, which they need to enable them attend schools. It was learnt that the absence of wheelchairs has posed barriers to many of the young indigenes, halting their academic dreams.
The AGF, who was represented by the national coordinator of the foundation, Alhaji Malami Abdulkadir, said that the humanitarian gesture was to ensure an all-inclusive support to all physically challenged people in the state.
He stated that the donation was made possible with support from the Beautiful Gate Handicapped Centre.
Breaking down the donations, he said items distributed include 165 tricycle wheelchairs, ten regular wheelchairs, 30 walkers and 20 crutches to the beneficiaries.
He said: “Conscious efforts were made to ensure that the beneficiaries of the donation were either schooling or willing to learn a trade, while some of them were already productively engaged in different businesses.”
The NGO under Agri-Business Small and Medium Enterprise Investment Scheme (AGSMIES) has also offered training for hundreds of entrepreneurs in Kebbi. Apart from exposing them to training, the entrepreneurs give loans to widows to start their own businesses so that they could also become employers of labour.
Malami told the beneficiaries that the loan facility to over 500 entrepreneurs facilitated by the foundation, AGSMIES, was meant to serve as a booster for the rapid growth of the small and medium entrepreneurs.
He said: “The Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari will remain resolute in its effort to boost the economic growth and development of the country which informed his decision to identify with small and medium entrepreneur’s development training as veritable tools in achieving that goal.
“The Federal Government’s stimulus package is to cushion the effect of coronavirus on the economy has started yielding positive results.”
The national secretary of Khadimiyya, Faruku Abubakar Maisudan commended the minister for his developmental projects, which include construction of over 150 motorized boreholes across the state, provision of medical equipment to tertiary health institutions, and educational materials among others.
He therefore enjoined other well to do individuals in the society to borrow a leaf from Malami and contribute their own quota to the development of their people.
In his paper presentation titled “Effective Utilization of AGSMIES Loan Facility”, Prof Sahabi Danladi Mahut charged the beneficiaries to utilise the golden opportunity presented to them. He noted that, they could become big players in the nation’s economy if they fully follow the rules surrounding the SMS.
Also, the former deputy governor of the state, Alhaji Muhammadu Bello Dantanin commended Malami for his patriotism in attracting developmental projects to the state, as well as his fairness to all.
Abdulkadir explained that the workshop was part of the foundation’s objectives of investing in human capital and capacity building geared towards skills acquisition and wealth creation.
Alhaji Abubakar Sadik, chairman of the local organising committee, who is also the national deputy coordinator of the NGO, informed the participants that the foundation had already made all the necessary arrangement for the payment of business plan and company registration for all the 500 participants.
He explained that over 1,000 farmers were expected to benefit from the programme in order to complement the Federal Government’s effort in improving food security, especially in the rice value chain.
His words: “The agricultural extension agents are expected to work with the cluster leaders from land clearing to harvesting period in order to ensure maximum yields. The foundation has many programmes aimed at jobs creation among youth and women across the state.”
On his part, the coordinator of the Anchor Borrowers’ Scheme of the foundation, Alhaji Bala Muhammad said that in order to ensure the smooth running and productivity of the scheme, the farmers would be provided with other agents who would guide them all through the stages.
The minister said that apart from income generation, cassava production would also assist in boosting domestic food need of the society.