The Palm Avenue secretariat of Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos State was packed full recently as the local government held its empowerment and palliative programmes for residents.
As early as 8am, residents have filled the compound of the local government for the unprecedented schemes which beneficiaries spread across the nooks and crannies of the local government as well as all classes of people.
Atmosphere at the venue revealed the happy nature of the people of the council area with beneficiaries particularly graduates of vocational scheme put up by the council came along with their family members.
There was drumming, dancing and singing as residents heaped praises on the council Chairman, Honourable Emmanuel Bamigboye for what they described as one of the best and most enduring empowerment and palliative schemes ever instituted in the local government.
On hand to unveil the scheme was former Senate Minority Whip and member of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), Senator Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon.
Senator Solomon, two-term member of the Upper Legislative Chamber and former Chairman of the local government, praised Bamigboye for putting in place people-oriented programmes which are meant to enhance the standard of living of the residents.
“I’m highly impressed with this and I want to implore you not to rest on your oars. I also want to urge you not to relent in promoting and replicating the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the THEMES+ agenda of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the grassroots level,” he said.
Speaking later, Bamigboye disclosed that the schemes were borne not only to distributes palliatives among the residents but also to train some of them in various vocations so that they can also become employers of Labour.
“We’re firm believers in teaching people how to fish rather than giving them fish to eat. This informed our decision to put in place this programme,” he said.
Some of the beneficiaries also heaped praises on the council Chairman describing him as a man whose main priority is to develop the local government and its residents.
“He’s God-sent to us here and we’re happy he’s doing this. He has always has the interest of the residents at heart. His programmes are people-oriented and always geared towards enhancing the welfare of our people,” one of them told thegazellenews.com.
This medium learnt that over 2000 residents benefitted from the schemes with about 500 of them graduates of the vocational training programme put in place by the Bamigboye administration.
“For this particular schemes, we’ve spent over N40 million because we ensured that all categories of people are captured in the list including our Physically-challenged brothers and sisters,” Bamigboye told thegazellenews.com.
Items distributed at the event include deep freezers, pepper-grinding machines and cash.
“Forty residents were each given N50,000 while there was N20,000 each for another group of 20 residents,” a council official told this medium.
Highlight of the event was the distribution of food bags for over 1000 families residents in the area.
Each bag continued: a tuber of yam, a crate of egg, 10 kg each of rice, beans and garri, a cartoon of Indomie noodles among others.
“We pray to God to continue to strengthen the Bamgboye administration. He’s indeed a God-sent to us in Mushin,” another beneficiary prayed as the programme concluded.
