–Blank NEWS Online (NIGERIA):
In response to its earlier promise, the Management of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), has fulfilled the pledge of giving succor to women of oil bearing communities in the State, by doling out cheques, valued at One Hundred Thousand Naira (N100,000.00) each, to about 1200 women.
This was done, in commemoration of the International Women’s Day Celebration, which took place on Sunday
8 March and also as a mark of fulfilling DESOPADEC Phase II of Women Empowerment Programme with the Theme: “I am Gender Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights”, held at the PTI Conference Centre in Warri.
Addressing the over-joyous beneficiaries, the Managing Director/CEO of DESOPADEC, Bashorun (Hon.) Askia Ogieh, FCNA, CrFA, reiterated the desire of the Commission to celebrate the women of DESOPADEC Mandate Areas, by empowering them to be useful to themselves by converting their passion in business to reality, thereby ensuring the development of our various communities.
According to him, the Phase 1 of the Programme, which took place about three months ago was used to test the ground, by exposing the women to their chosen areas of their passion in business.
In his words, “From the training, every passion that each of the participants has, can be converted to wealth through the instrumentality of giving them little assistance to push their businesses.”
He therefore, informed the women that the sum of One Hundred Thousand Naira has been earmarked, for each of them, to put into their various businesses, such that if per adventure, they were able to use the money received to up their businesses, more assistances would come their ways from the Commission.
To that end, he announced that a mentoring team would be set up to monitor the various beneficiaries on how they would be faring in their businesses, adding that if the mentoring team discovers any of the beneficiaries improving in her venture, the Commission would further come to the aid of such a person.
The DESOPADEC helmsman also advised the women to form themselves into cooperative groups, in order to interact amongst themselves, to improve on their businesses.
Bashorun Askia, further revealed that the empowerment done today was to make for a STRONGER DELTA of our dreams as, according to him, ”With this training and empowerment, their businesses would improve, having turned their passion into reality, thereby becoming stronger women in their endeavors.”
Earlier, the Executive Director, Social Services Directorate of DESOPADEC, Barr. Leonard Anoka, had expressed gratitude and appreciation to the MD/CEO and the Board of DESOPADEC for its timely intervention and deep commitment to lifting the women of DESOPADEC Mandate Areas off the poverty line and in turn, give them a befitting life.
He recollected that DESOPADEC had organized a training programme three months ago, in line with the Commission’s Human Capital Development Policy direction to reflect His Excellency, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa’s administration’s thrust to empower and give life, in its beauty, to women of oil bearing communities.
He then, informed the beneficiaries of today’s epoch making event of actualizing the dreams of all the successful trainees, by ensuring that they deploy whatever that was given to them into their passion as a source of income.
In his words, “What we are doing today is by no means a jamboree but a predetermined policy of alleviating and confronting poverty and lack of direction for our women.”
