Lawmaker Floats Micro Finance Scheme For Women

The lawmaker representing Etche Constituency I in the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon Victor Amadi has floated a micro-credit and economic empowerment scheme for women in his constituency.

The scheme, which involves 250 women, will cost the sum of N40 million in the next two years.

Declaring the programme open at the weekend at Okehi, headquarters of Etche Local Government Area, the wife of the Rivers State Governor, Dame Judith Amaechi said her organisation, the Empoweremnt Support Initiative (ESI), will partner in the success of the scheme.

Dame Amaechi said that the programme will go a long way in improving the condition of women in the area and charged other elected and appointed political office holders to emulate Hon Amadi by initiating programme that will improve the condition of their people, especially the women.

Also speaking, the state Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Joeba West said the ministry will encourage the initiative to ensure its success.

Mrs West also urged the beneficiaries to put the money into judicious use, stressing that its proper utilisation will regenerate the economy of the area.

Also speaking, the chairman of Etche Local Government Area, Hon Reginald Ukwuoma said the council is proud of the effort of the wife of the governor in the economic emancipation of the womenfolk in Etche Local Government Area.

The council’s chairman also lauded the initiator of the programme, Hon Victor Amadi, for the programme, which he observed will improved the economic wellbeing of Etche women.

In his speech, the chairman of the occasion, Prof Ozor Mercury Ndimele said the area is now blessed with quality young men and women in politics who can now defend Etche’s interest.

Prof Ndimele also said that, the programme was an indication to come back home to help his people and urged other Etche sons and daughters in government to come back home and help their people.

He, however, said that the objective of the scheme will be defeated, if the beneficiaries divert the money to other ventures.

The initiator of the programme, Hon. Victor Amadi, who is the lawmaker representing Etche Constituency I in the Rivers State House of Assembly, said that the scheme was intended to reinvent the altitude of self sufficiency in Etcheland “ as well as wipe away tears from the faces of women in the constituency.”

Hon Amadi said that his office is in partnership with the Rivers State Microfinance Agency (RIMA) to not only teach the women the skills of managing small business, but also workout modalities of recovering the loan.

Highlight of the programme was the presentation of cheque of N100,000 cash to the 64 beneficiaries in the first phase of the programme.

Some of the beneficiaries who spoke with newsmen described the programme as first of its kind in the area.