Empowerment Programme:  Senator Barau, Ajibola, Kyari, Others Praise Senator Saliu Mustapha ‘s ‘Impressive Performance’ As 3,000 Constituents Receive Tricycles, Cars, Cows, Grinding Machines, Deep Freezers, Farm Equipment

Prominent Nigerians including Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibrin Barau, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Alhaji Abubakar Kyari, Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Lola Ashiru, APC National Secretary, Barrister Ajibola Basiru on Friday commended Senator Saliu Mustapha for recording ‘impressive performance’ as representative of the people of Kwara Central in the senate.

While urging Mustapha, who became a member of the senate in 2023 to maintain the tempo, they have also urged his constituents to continue to support him.

The Deputy Senate President and other top personalities spoke during the empowerment programme held by Senator Saliu Mustapha at the open field of the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority, Ilorin on Friday.

Senator Barau, who represented the Senate President, Barrister Godwin Akpabio, described Senator Saliu Mustapha as a very friendly, industrious and peace-loving person noting that the empowerment programme is in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s agriculture and food security agenda.

The programme called ‘Alubarika 1.0 Empowerment’ had entrepreneurs, artisans, farmers, and party loyalists who had undergone rigorous training facilitated by the lawmaker as beneficiaries and they went home with deep freezers, tricycles, cows, grinding machines, gas powered oven with cylinders, irrigation machines and other important items.

Eight tractors were also made available for the use of farmers in the four local governments in Kwara Central, some among the beneficiaries also got cars while a full scholarship was announced for 200 students in the senatorial district.

 Senator Barau Jibrin also donated 200 sewing machines to Kwara Central constituents.

‘We have all decided to come here and share this moment with our brother, Senator Saliu Mustapha because of this great empowerment programme for his constituents prioritizing agriculture and human capital development.

 These are key areas that are very important to our national development

Because we don’t need to waste much time talking about the importance of agriculture in every society, agriculture is sine qua non to the survival of every society because without food  there is no life.

And this is a cardinal programme of this administration and the renewed Hope of Mr President to provide food for all.

No wonder the constituents decided to pick Saliu Mustapha, who is an outstanding person and party leader in this country.

He is a very friendly human being, industrious and peaceful, he connects with everybody in the Senate. In fact, you’ve done the right thing by electing him.

All the time he has gotten to speak on the floor of the Senate, it’s about what is going to come to Kwara’  Senator Barau said.

Giving his speech, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Alhaji Abubakar Kyari commended Mustapha for giving priority to programmes and initiatives that will help to promote food security in the country noting that this is in line with the objectives of the President Bola Tinubu administration.

‘You are doing well on the floor of the Senate. Tinubu’s food security initiative is working. Food isn’t only becoming affordable but available. Tinubu is working to promote agriculture.

 I am happy that the Chairman of the Senate Committee oversighting me is also promoting Tinubu’s agenda. I pray that Almighty Allah will protect and guide us’ he said.

 APC National Secretary, Dr Basiru Ajibola urged the beneficiaries to use the items strictly for the intended purpose while advising them not to sell what they have gotten

 

The president Bola Tinubu administration, he noted, is committed to fighting poverty in the country and what Senator Mustapha has done is in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the president.

Senator Lola Ashiru, who represents Kwara South, asserted that Kwara State has seen ‘a period of tremendous change’ under APC in 6 years.

This, he noted, was acknowledged by Senator Jibrin on their way to the venue of the programme.

He also described Senator Mustapha’s empowerment programme as a ‘never-seen-before’.

Senator Saliu Mustapha, who thanked the dignitaries and others for attending the event, submitted that the empowerment programme is designed to make the beneficiaries become self-reliant.

He noted that the beneficiaries had undergone rigorous training facilitated by him. 

‘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 them through a series of programmes and training. In fact, we are missing out on one vital aspect.  Everywhere you go now, you’ll see solar streetlights.

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

 The most fascinating part was when I came during the training  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 roofs and poles?’

I saw them in their overalls, 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 through training. We are not holding a political rally or jamboree here’ he said.

The event was also attended by top politicians in Kwara State including former Senator Sulaiman Ajadi, former Speaker of Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon Benjamin Isa, a member of Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon Razaq Owolabi, Alhaji LAK Jimoh, Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo, Kwara South APC senatorial Chairman, Hon Olayemi Olabanji,  Alhaji Abdul Aiyelabegan and others.

 Chief Imam of Ilorin, Muhammadu Bashir; also attended the event while the Emir of Ilorin, His Eminence, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari was represented by Prince Modibo Sulu Gambari 

In an interview with Team@orientactualmags.com, Abimbola Hawau, who went home with a deep freezer, thanked the senator for the gesture of goodwill, noting that this will enhance her frozen food business and further ease things for her.

Aduke Wahab, a fishmonger, also thanked the senator for helping to enhance her business-Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com.  Thank you