The Grassroots Development Initiative (GDI), has concluded a three-day Massive Grassroots Empowerment Programme of more than 500 residents of Buguma City, headquarters of Asari-Toru Local Government Area, Rivers State.
The scheme, sponsored by five stalwarts of the GDI, which lasted from last Saturday to Monday, also gave a total sum of N50million grant to support small and medium scale enterprises development in the area.
While Alabo Thorpe Tariah gave 100 men N100,000 each, Comrade Ibisobebo Wokoma  rewarded three residents with car gifts, handed over documents for land property to a resident, distributed building materials, barbing equipment and cash gifts to over 100 persons.
Also, Comrade Telema George provided N100,000 each to 100 enterprising young persons, just as Comrade Asitoa Charles empowered 100 community youth who are already into business ventures to build up their capital and Mrs. Siya Eferebo handed over N100,000 each to 100 young girls and women in the area to enhance their business endeavours.
In a bid to also celebrate their own, the five sponsors of this empowerment exercise extended the largesse to some members of the organisation who went home with different amounts of cash gifts and other incentives.
The exercise which was colourfully flagged-off last Saturday, had in attendance the Vice-Chairman of PDP, Rivers West Senatorial District, Chief Odiari Princewill, who doubles as the leader of GDI in ASALGA.
Other dignitaries who grace the event and add colour to the flag-off event were Hon. Granville Tekenari Wellington, the member representing Asari-Toru Constituency 1 in the Rivers State House of Assembly; Hon. Orolosoma Amachree, former leader of Asari-Toru Legislative Assembly and Alabo Thorpe Tariah, the leader of PDP/GDI in Ward 6, Asari-Toru LGA.
The fifty million naira (N50,000,000) economic empowerment was targeted at providing capital outlay and improving the capital base of small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) in the local government area was launched in the multi-purpose hall of the Asari-Toru council secretariat.
The empowerment exercise lasted from Saturday till Monday, 16th October, 2017 and recorded a total number of five hundred and fifty (550) beneficiaries.
Thousands of residents took to the streets to express their joy over this benevolent and philanthropic gesture of the pro-Wike group. Kalabari native songs of praise and celebration complimented with traditional dance steps, only seen during very special festivals, were on display to show how thankful and elated the people were of such gesture.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Princewill lauded the GDI stalwarts who thought it necessary to empower the people of the area by encouraging them with start-up capital to venture into small and medium businesses, which is the backbone of every thriving economy.
He charged all supporters and followers of the Rivers State Governor, His Excellency, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, to emulate and imbibe his unparralled passion for grassroots empowerment and movement.
“To show that we are indeed loyal and true supporters of His Excellency, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, CON, we need to continually replicate the love and burning desire of His Excellency in developing and improving lives of the common people at the grassroots.”
“With what have happened today, we will begin to experience an all turn around in the economy of Asari-Toru LGA, which will in the long run, boost the economic profile of Rivers State; engage the youths thereby curbing criminality and providing employment for our people”, he said.
In the same vein, Hon. Wellington charged the people to keep faith with the Gov. Wike led administration and to judiciously use and invest the capital provided them into a colossal capital base and also encourage them to invest in the LGA to blossom the economic fortunes of the area.
He said: “If God can use men to favour you at such a time when the year is about ending, then there is every reason to steadfastly have faith in God.
“Your support and prayers for the Governor Wike led state government will continually be rewarded. Asari-Toru people’s support for our amiable governor has thus far attracted infrastructural projects, appointment of our sons and daughters into juicy positions of trust and massive youth and women capacity development.
“For those who bankrolled this empowerment exercise, it is my prayer that our good Lord replenish your purses and uplift you in your personal and political lives. You all have once again shown that the people-oriented and empowerment blood of the New Rivers Vision family runs in your veins.”
“With the sustenance of economic empowerment and provision of soft loans to support businesses in our land, Asari-Toru LGA will in no distant time become the economic hub and Dubai of Rivers State.”
Overtime, Asari-Toru LGA has strongly been adjudged as an unwavering support base of the Rivers State governor. The governor’s foot soldiers in the LGA reinstated and re-emphasized this fact by extending and replicating the goodwill of the state governor to their people at the grassroots.”