Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, has floated a micro-credit scheme for the empowerment of women and youths in his constituency.

Ndoma-Egba, who represents the Central Senatorial District of Cross River, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Calabar, last Sunday.

He said: “I have introduced a new micro-credit scheme which is just designed for women and youths to bring them together to form cooperatives and businesses of their choice.

“We have sponsored few groups and they have come to me to indicate the businesses they want to do and some of them are doing well.”

The senate leader added that he had earmarked some funds, specially for selected micro-finance ventures for women.

“A bank is already working with many women groups in the senatorial district and as I speak with you, money is already in CDS Micro-Finance Bank for that purpose. It is the bank that is managing the project.”

He noted that a lot of women and young people had also benefited from his scholarship scheme in the state, stressing that, “women and youths are the real resource of a nation.”

“It is not oil, not gold or diamond, it is humans that constitute the resource of a nation but how useful they become depends on the kind of education you give to them.”

“So, this young women and men are our resources, whether we will come out of the poverty cycle and consequent violence will depend on what we do with our young people and women.”

“There is a rental service by Etung women where they rent chairs and canopies for functions. That too is sponsored by me.”

He added: “Women are very important not just to me but to our political group. They were active in last year’s election.”

“We have designed a large economic empowerment programme for the women and I am sure the technical people are talking with women and assisting them on how to go about it.”

“Empower a man you feed a family but when you empower a woman you feed a nation. Anybody who ignores women does that at his or her own risk.”

The senate leader said that he was also constructing a water project in Akparabong and Ajidinkpong communities in Ikom local government area of the state.

He said that the project had been delayed because he wanted the NDDC to extend it to neighbouring Ajidinkpong community.

“I have been the one that have slowed down the project because I wanted the NDDC to extend the water project to Ajidinkpong.”

He added that the water project was 13 per cent completed, noting that only pipes were required for the extension of the project to the affected community.