Mustapha: Demonstrating Capacity with  Empowerment Packages for Constituents

The multi-billion naira empowerment and human capital development programme put together by Kwara Central Senator, Saliu Mustapha in Ilorin recently, receive accolades from politicians and beneficiaries alike. Sunday Aborisade reports.

Chairman of Senate Committee on Agricultural Production Services and Rural Development, who is representing Kwara Central Senatorial District in the 10th National Assembly, Senator Saliu Mustapha,

despite the campaign of calumny against his growing popularity in the state, last Friday put smiles on the faces of the All Progressives Congress party leadership in the senatorial district and over 2,500 constituents with various vocational tools, cash award, scholarships for students and numerous items to boost their trade.

The excited Turaki of the Ilorin Emirate, at the event which held at the premises of the Lower Niger River Development Authority in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, expressed delight with the massive turnout and urged his constituents to keep the hope alive as that was just the beginning of greater things being planned for them.

Tagged, “Alubarika 1.0 Agricultural and Human Capital Development Empowerment Project,” Mustapha ensured that all constituents in various sectors of the economy, benefitted from his gesture.

This is because farmers, traders, indigent students, transporters, butchers, bakers, tailors, all got food items for constituents  currently observing the ongoing Ramadan fast.

Some of the dignitaries at the occasion included the Deputy Senate President, JibrinBarau; Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, AbubakarKyari; Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Lola Ashiru (Kwara South); Chief Whip of the Senate, Mohammed Tahir Monguno; and the Chairman, Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other financial institutions, Senator AdetokunboAbiru.

Others included the National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Senator AjibolaBasiru; Chief Imam of Ilorin, Muhammadu Bashir;  Emir of Ilorin, Sulu Gambari represented by Modibo Sulu Gambari;  and Senator AminuIyalAbass, among other top political leaders and traditional rulers in the senatorial district.

Items distributed on the occasion by Senator Mustapha included 10,000 fertilizers; 20 tractors; 30 brand new Sienna vehicles; 55 tricycle trucks; 30 complete industrial rice milling equipment and 25 transformers.

He also distributed 25 complete garri processing machine; 400 pumping machine; 50 industrial baking oven; 50 fish smoking oven; 100 Cows; 500 Grinding machines; 400 deep freezers; 200 generators and 200 Sewing Machines

The senator also distributed 55 industrial sewing machines; 100 Rewire tools boxes; 100 Mechanic tools boxes; 100

Gas powered pressing irons; 100 Big bags of Watermelon; 100 Big cartons of apples; 200 complete solar installation equipment; and 200 various items for dry season farmers.

There were also 60 AsoOke Weavers equipment for the beneficiaries; 100 bags  of Coconut; 150 bags of pineapple fruits; 200 bags of oranges; 100 Bags of Cabbage: 200 Bunches of Banana; 200 Bags of Cucumber; 200 Baskets of Pepper; 200 Baskets of Tomatoes; 200 Bags of Onion; 200 Yam tubers; 200 Bags of Beans; 200 Bags of Garri; and 200 Bags of Maize.

Also distributed to the Kwara Central Senatorial District constituents were 50

Bags of Brocoli; 50 Baskets of Okro; 100

Basket of Sweet Potatoes; 400 Cartons of Fishes and 1000 umbrellas.

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, AbubakarKyari and Barau, the Deputy President of the Senate, declared on the occasion that the reforms of President Bola Tinubu on Agriculture and food security was yielding positive results with the example demonstrated by Senator Mustapha.

They noted that the prices of foodstuffs are already coming down in the various markets across the country because top government functionaries were empowering their constituents with the right tools to enhance massive food production.

Kyari specifically said the collaboration between the National Assembly and his ministry on the implementation of the food security policy of the President was yielding positive results as more farmers were now back to farms due to the support from both the executive and the legislative arms of government.

His words: “Today, I can proudly beat my chest and boast that the reform that President Bola Tinubu initiated in terms of food security is working.

“We have seen and we are feeling that foodstuffs are available, but gradually they are becoming affordable. That is to show the champion of food security, President Tinubu  is working for the best interest of Nigerians.

“I would also commend my partners in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture for being in line with the aspiration of Mr. President.

“The Senate Committee on Agriculture chaired by Senator Saliu Mustapha, which  is oversighting me, has been keeping us on our toes making us to fall in line with Mr. President’s aspiration. We have the same aspiration and we mean well for Nigeria and Nigerians.”

The Deputy Senate President, who represented the President of the Senate, GodswillAkpabio, on the occasion, expressed delight that Mustapha concentrated a greater percentage of his empowerment programme on Agriculture.

Barau who donated 200 sewing machines on the occasion, said the special attention given to the agriculture sector by the President Tinubu’s administration was commendable and urged other federal lawmakers to channel their zonal intervention programme to agriculture.

Barau said, “I call this a great empowerment programme because it is intended to empower the constituents of Saliu Mustapha in the area of agriculture and human capital development.

“These are key areas that are very important to our national development. Of course, I don’t need to waste much time talking about the importance of agriculture to every society.

“Agriculture is something unknown to the survival of every society. It is, in my opinion, the foundation of every society, because without food, no life. It is a kind of programme that align with the  Renew Hope Agenda of Mr. President to provide food for all.

“No wonder, Mustapha decided to empower his people with agriculture tools because we know he’s an outstanding legislator, an astounding person who has been in the leadership circle of this country, being a party leader, so he knows it all.

“As a deputy chairman of a party, he knows what it means to make the people happy. He has the wherewithal, he knows about the problems that we have in our country. That is why the Senate decided that we need someone of such a pedigree to be the chairman of the Committee on Agriculture.

“This is what is driving the economy of every advanced society, of every dominant society, of every society in the world. If you don’t have it right there, forget it if you don’t have an arrangement that will provide food and enhance your human capital. Human capital is number one now in every sector, in every facet of production.

“You need to have the people, you need to have the skilled people that will drive your development. That is what this programme is very important.

 Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions who is representing Lagos East Senatorial District, TokunboAbiru, also donated N100,000 each to 100 widows on the occasion.

In his speech, Senator Mustapha explained that the empowerment was meant to make the beneficiaries, which included market women, farmers, artisans and trade associations become self-reliant.

According to him, apart from the physical empowerment materials, the beneficiaries had been trained and certificated on how to use the tools and carry out their trade as entrepreneurs.

Mustapha said: “Today’s programme is just a symbolic one to flag off what we intend to do with most of our people we have trained. This time around, we decided that it is not only about giving out sewing machines or giving out things to people and they will not value it.

“We decided to put then through a series of programmes and trainings. In fact, we are missing out one vital aspect. Everywhere you go now, you’ll see solar streetlights.

“We took time to train our indigenes who are interested in learning to maintain, repair and  install solar panels.

“The most fascinating part was when I came during a training exercise and I saw a lot of women who were part of it and I asked, ‘in our community here that I thought was conservative for women to climb roof and poles? I saw them in their overall, they are fully trained now on how to install, repair and maintain solar inverters. All of them are here too and they will get their working tools.

“Most of the people you see here under the canopies are not just political spectators, these are carefully chosen beneficiaries who have gotten thorough training. We are not holding a political rally or jamboree here.”

Most of the beneficiaries who spoke with reporters said no amount of victimisation from any quarter would stop them from supporting  Mustapha who they described as a real welfarist whose sphere of influence cut across the various political parties in the state.

They also asked him to ignore any form of victimisation and distraction from anyone or groups of people by remaining focus on his determination to make life more meaningful for the people of Kwara Central Senatorial District.