The Oyo State Government has declared that it will continue to support residents of the state to rise above poverty and move into prosperity by catering to their welfare and empowering them to be self-sufficient.
Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Mrs Toyin Balogun, gave this indication at the weekend, when her Ministry kick-started the distribution of N20 million livelihood support grants for victims of market fire outbreaks.
According to the commissioner, the Governor Seyi Makinde-led administration has continued to match its words with action by giving priority attention to bettering the lives of residents and supporting them to be economically buoyant through different means.
Balogun noted that the beneficiaries of the grants, drawn from Gbaremu, Sango, Oke-Itunu and Oranyan markets, where fire outbreaks wreaked havocs on businesses, have benefited from the N20 million grant approved by the governor.
She added that the event was just the first phase and that victims of fire outbreaks in other markets would also be reached by the intervention, adding that apart from supporting the victims, the government has also put together training sessions for market women on how to prevent and mitigate fire outbreaks in markets.
She said: “Basically, this event is just another dimension of the usual way the Oyo State Government shows concern for the welfare of the residents of the state.
“You are all aware that a couple of months back, there was a spate of fire incidents across the length and breadth of the state. We observed through our findings that it was not only the direct victims that were affected economically; that each of the victims has a minimum of 10 to 20 dependents that they are responsible for.
“So, this tells us that those incidents had far-reaching economic implications. So, the government of Governor Makinde, being a welfarist government, decided to see how it can support all these victims to bring them back to economic viability.
“We want them to resume to their level of self-sufficiency and to enable them to take care of other people depending on them for succour. As a result of this, our governor put aside other things and gave this an expedited approval and gave us a reasonable amount to be given to all the victims of the fire outbreaks.
“This is just the first phase of the intervention.
“We are not just trying to get them back on their feet but also ensuring that these incidents are prevented. One of the ways we are doing this is that we are putting together training sessions for women in the state on how to mitigate and prevent fire outbreaks in our markets.
“This government is keen on empowering citizens to enable them to be self-sufficient and that is what this programme is all about.
“In this first tranche, we have been able to disburse N20m to the beneficiaries and it is going to be an ongoing thing. We will ensure that all other people in all other markets that were affected will also be reached out to.”
Also speaking, a former Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Senator Monsurat Sunmonu, described the Governor Makinde-led administration as a government of the masses.
“We are giving these grants to victims of market fire outbreaks to support them to make a living. You can all see that this is a government of the masses. It is always ready to assist our people.
“We have to give thanks to God, Governor Seyi Makinde and the commissioner for organising this programme.”
Similarly, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Babatunde Tijani, noted that the governor sympathised with the victims and decided to support them because his administration is pro-people.
Responding on behalf of the market associations, the Iyaloja of Ibadan North Local Government, Chief (Mrs) Borode Omotayo Bolaji, also commended the government for the timely intervention.
She said: “It is a great thing to me, because I was not even expecting up to that amount at all.
“Also, it was not only our market that was given money, other markets were also given. We really appreciate what the governor has done for the victims.
“The N5m has dropped into the account of the person representing my own market and it will be disbursed any moment from now.”
The event had in attendance market leaders and top government functionaries.
