By Segun Adewale, Gombe
Over 3,000 constituents of the Balanga/Billiri Federal Constituency in Gombe State have been empowered with cash and materials worth over N80 million.
The Member Representing Balanga/Billiri Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives who is also the House’s Minority Whip, Hon. Ali Isa JC Makaman Cham made the presentations in Billiri on Sunday, 3 August, 2025.
Our Correspondent reports that beneficiaries of the empowerment were drawn from all the 20 Wards of the two Local Government Areas that make up the Constituency with each Ward and Voting Unit having at least two beneficiaries in each category of the Empowerment Programme.
The Cash awards of N50,000 each, was given to petty traders to improve their trade and businesses at the Unit and Ward level.
Physically challenged persons were not left out as they were also assisted with N50,000 each to help take care of their basic needs, while women in food business were give a bag of rice each and farmers got one bag of NPK Fertilizer.
The fertilizer will be distributed to over 3,000 farmers in the two local government areas that make up the constituency and it will be a continuous one.
Addressing the Beneficiaries, Hon. Ali Isa JC said the action was part of his campaign promises where he promised that the people of his constituency will always be given what is due to them and would not lack basic amenities and facilities.
According to him, he has seen the plight of farmers in the area as a result of increase in the prices of fertilizer which is the most critical thing needed to fight food insecurity in the country hence his timely intervention to help the farmers in order to enable them have a good harvest this season.
The Minority Whip urged those who have not be reached yet to be patient as he will try his possible best to touch the lives of majority of his constituents before the end of the tenth Assembly in 2027, and urged them to be law abiding.
Speakers at the occasion which included the Deputy Chairman of Gombe State PDP, the Chairman of Honourable Ali Isa JC Committee on Monitoring and Evaluation, Hassan Ahmadu Haruna and the Member Representing Billiri in the State House of Assembly all poured encomium on Ali Isa JC for being a worthy representative of the people, adding that his type are few in the country.
According to them the people of Balanga and Billiri Federal Constituency did not make mistake in electing Ali Isa JC as their representative.
They urged the people to return him in 2027 as no other member that represented them in the past has done half of what the Minority Whip has done in the last two years.
It could be recalled that in June 2025, Dr Ali Isa JC inaugurated several roads in Balanga and Billiri Local Government Areas of Gombe State, block of classrooms, water projects and provided tractors to farmers in addition to provision of ambulances and cars to Ward Chairmen and Local Government Chairmen in Balanga/Billiri and in Gombe State PDP offices.
