FG empowerment schemes to block corruption, support local traders

VICE President Yemi Osinbajo, on Monday in Osun declared that apart from social benefits, inherent in the federal government empowerment schemes, they were packaged to block corruption and support small-scale businesses at the local level.

He maintained that “empowerment program embarked on by President Buhari’s administration is to discourage corruption and aid the growth small of small businesses in the country.”

Osinbajo, who spoke in Iwo community while launching the federal government empowerment programme, which was powered by the Bank of Industry (BoI) in conjunction with Osun State government said “this program is part of social empowerment programme by President Buhari to discourage corruption in this nation and serve as a mean to help petty traders in the country. We want the wealth of this nation to be shared with every Nigerian.”

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According to him, “the wealth of this nation belongs to every citizen, not some set of people; not politicians but the common people of the country which should be used for development. N10,000 loan will be given to each trader which after six months of returning the loan they will be entitled to collect another loan of N15,000 through the Bank of Industry.”

“President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is doing all within its power to discourage corruption in this nation and this formed part of the ways we can discourage corruption practices,” Osinbajo remarked.

He, however, emphasised charged the benefitting traders to pay back the loan facility, stressing that this would give opportunity for others to benefit.

Dignitaries at the launching of the empowerment scheme include the host governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, his deputy, Mrs. Titi-Laoye Tomori, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, the Executive Director of Bank of Industry, Mrs. Toyin Adeniji and host of others.