The Nigerian Senate Deputy Chief Whip and senator representing Kwara South, Lola Ashiru, on Sunday, reactivated ALAJOBI, a support group under the All Progressives Congress (APC) with a whooping sum of N20 million grant.
Part of the grant was used to purchase five tricycles and three motorcycles which were distributed to members of the group. There was also cash grant given to some members of the group to start their own businesses.
Senator Lola Ashiru, while speaking on the intervention said the intervention would be another continuous effort towards wealth creation and to make his people economic self-reliant. This is the best palliative we can give to our people to combact the prevailing state of economic hardship and hunger.
Represented by his Personal Assistant, Hon. Hammed Omuiyadun, Ashiru stated that: “Alajobi group has since been established and this is only a reactuation. Senator (Arc.) Lola Ashiru did not only reactuated but also consolidate it by metamorphosised it into a Cooperative Society under the name Alajobi Multi-purpose Cooperative Society. Members of the society would be able to empower themselves through laid-down guidelines and the Senator would also keep supporting them from time to time.
“The senator pleads and encourages them not to sell what were given to them freely. We want them to replicate the gesture by returning the money into the society so others could benefit. People captured earlier under Alajobi were asked for their needs and these were met. Five of them said they wanted keke napep for transportation business, five of them who are petty traders said they need support for their businesses and they were given N300,000 each. There’s a bread baker who said his business is not doing so well in recent days; we gave him a sum of N500,000. All of them have been credited.
“We gave a merry-making group (Awon Onilu), based on their request, a tricycle and two motorcycles to generate more fund aside occasional outings of the group.
“The Offa branch of the National Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association (NATOMORAS) said they need an automobile so as to generate internal revenue for the association, we gave them a tricycle, too.”
Omuiyadun thereafter beseeched the beneficiaries to make a good use of the initiative.
The Offa Transition Implementation Committee (TIC) Chairman, Honourable Thomas Jare Olatundun showered accolades on Senator Lola Ashiru for the initiative.
He said, “Alajobi is an aged long support group for Sen. Lola Ashiru, It is the mother of all support groups. Many thanks to our distinguished senator, he has been voted in, when many Senators will preferred travelling abroad to enjoy holidays and senate recession, Senator Ashiru is here attending to his constituents across the Senatorial District and does a lot of things for his people.
“Secondly, charity begins at home. Offa is one of the local government areas the senator representes. The Kwara South Senatorial District covers the local government areas of Ekiti, Oke Ero, Offa, Ifelodun, Irepodun, Isin, and Oyun. This gesture will be reciprocated in all other local government areas specifically, Ekiti Local Government will host the next edition of Alajobi Multi-purpose Cooperative intervention.
