The lawmaker representing Lagos East Senatorial District, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, has empowered some needy women in the five Local Government Areas and 11 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in his constituency.
Not less than 300 women benefitted from the scheme, which the senator held on Saturday to mark the International Women’s Day. Ashafa gave the traders about N10 million, which was shared according to the size of their businesses.
Many traders flocked the presentation venues in the council chamber of Epe Local Government Area and Noforija Hall in Eredo LCDA.
Dignitaries at the events included the Chairman of Lagos State chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Chief Henry Oladele Ajomale; Epe division ACN chair, Chief Lanre Rasaq; Chairman, Epe local government, Hon. Jamiu Agbaje; his Eredo counterpart, Hon. Sabiu Adelaja and Alhaji Anifowose Dengel, an ACN chieftain from Kosofe.
Ajomale praised the senator for helping the traders with the financial scheme, noting that empowerment of women was tantamount to empowering the society. He said the scheme was a confirmation that ACN remained a party that cared for the grassroots.
He said: “Nobody gave Ashafa the benefit of the doubt when he approached our party with his intention to go to the senate. Because of his civil service background, people thought he would not perform as politicians would do. But he disappointed those people. Everywhere in Lagos East, everybody feels the Ashafa’s programmes from Ikorodu, Imota, Agbowa, Ikosi-Ejirin, to Epe, Somolu, Ibeju Lekki and all areas that fall under his jurisdiction.” Ajomale said the Ashafa had performed beyond peoples’ expectation.
Speaking in Yoruba language, Ashafa said he gave because he felt the pains some of the women passed through after obtaining bank loans to start business without success. Recalling his mother’s challenges as gold merchant in Sandgross market in Lagos Island, the senator said he knew how disgraceful it could be when traders could not pay back bank loans.
He said: “I made women empowerment as one of my cardinal programmes when I was elected two years ago. In loyalty to the cause and to make our mothers successful in their business, this scheme is organised to celebrate our women in a day such as International Women’s Day. I am not saying that the money given out today will be enough to solve all challenges they face, but I believe it will help greatly in changing their condition and help their businesses in one way or the other.”
Ashafa said he believed in human capital development, which was he embarked on giving scholarships to indigent pupils and empowering women and youth of his senatorial districts.
Mrs Rashidat Ojikutu, a food stuff trader in Ikorodu, said: “This is a lifeline to help my business. Thank God this is not a loan. I will use the money to buy more goods and the profit I will make from it will be used to buy more goods.”
Another beneficiary, Mrs Dorcas Ajayi, thanked Ashafa for helping her crumbling charcoal business. She said: “I will forever be grateful to Senator Ashafa for this. I was thinking of where to get money to save my charcoal business but when the scheme was announced, I put down my name, not knowing that I will benefit from it.”
