Edo govt gives N100m grant to market women

 Edo State Government, South-South, Nigeria has given N100 million revolving, interest-free and non-refundable grant to market women in the state to boost their trade. The government urged them to continue to defend democracy and good governance.

The state Governor, Adams Oshiomhole who disclosed this at a reception organized for him by market women in the state also asked them to forward names of 20 candidates to government for board appointments.

The governor said: “Next month the government will give the market women N100 million and you people know how best to share it to support your business. This money should be rotated among yourselves and you do not have to pay back to the government. Also forward 20 names to the Chief of Staff, we will put them in various boards under Edo State Government because this government is your own and you must participate in it.

“As our mothers and sisters, individually and collectively you carry our message of hope across the 192 wards, you canvassed for support, enlightened the people on what we are doing right and even with the promise to do more and at the end of the day the people listened, they voted and ACN won 18 over 18. You did it before and you have done it again on the basis of what is good for the Edo people.

“I like having meetings in this hall just to remind us of what has changed, how we can build a new world from the ashes of the old that we can now have a beautiful hall for a secondary school and from Edo North, Edo Central, Edo South we are building schools, so that your children, the child of a market woman will have every reason to look forward to a decent school. Never again will the Edo child be taught in a class without roof or even without teachers.”

The governor urged the women to defend the gains of good governance, to defend democracy, saying it was the only form of government that gave the market woman power to hire and fire, “that power you must retain and use it judiciously and to insist that beyond election day the governor and the governed must meet eye ball to eye ball to give account and that is the gain of democracy,” he said.

Earlier, the Secretary General of the Edo State Market Women Association, Mrs. Blackie Omoregie said the forum was to congratulate the governor for the victory in the governorship election and commend him for his developmental efforts.