All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Ilorin West/Asa federal constituency of Kwara State, Hon. Muktar Shagaya, has empowered 800 people with N20,000 each to boost Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (SMEs) in the Ilorin metropolis.
Muktar, who said the empowerment came through his campaign outfit (Muktar Shagaya Movement), explained that the programme was not targeted at vote-buying for the next year’s general elections.
The beneficiaries, who were drawn from Ilorin West/Asa local government areas of the state, received the money during an empowerment programme tagged SME Intervention programme.
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Speaking with journalists, Muktar said that the initiative was aimed at supporting Small and Medium Enterprise in Kwara state.
“This is the 16th edition of the empowerment programme. We are creating ease of doing business among business owners in Ilorin West/Asa Federal Constituency.
“This is something that has been happening since 2014. It is not a function of politics, even if I wasn’t doing politics, this empowerment would still continue and it’s being done every three months. So, if we can track where we are now and chronologically follow the timeline, you would notice that every three months, we always do something along this line.
“Exercising your democratic right should have nothing to do with money. So, this aspect of vote-buying is not something that we count as a means to earn the votes of the people. What we’re trying to do is to reshape Ilorin West/Asa and how politics is being done in the constituency.”
“We shouldn’t play into what has been done in the past, we are trying to create new ways forward for a brighter future for us all.”
When asked why the empowerment has not been done with the provision of working tools, the young politician said, “The empowerment is always in cash base and today it’s N20,000 to small and medium enterprise in Kwara and I am sure that the beneficiaries know what they can use it for. So my simple advice is that the beneficiaries should spend it judiciously and they should be upright citizens of Ilorin West/Asa LG and Kwara state.”
Muktar who is a son of Nigerian business mogul, Hajia Muinat Shagaya, advised Kwara people to get their PVC in order to exercise their democratic right.
“What everyone needs to do now is to key into that process. We’ve been given an extended opportunity for all of us to go and have the opportunity to express our democratic rights. And those that have attained the age should get to the INEC PVC enrollment centre and get accreditated. I am not saying they should vote for me but they should exercise their democratic right.
“We should all go out and register because, without PVC, we can’t vote to make an impact in our state and county,” he said.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Salman Shagaya Foundation, Mallam Sheriff Shagaya, who also witnessed the event, said that the gesture was meant to provide succour to small business owners.
“I don’t believe in vote-buying. We are a very honourable family, through the belief in Allah, we believe that people have to make their own choices and we’ve been on this for a very long time.”
“Today 800 people are receiving the sum of 20,000 and that’s about N16 Million and we will continue to do this after the elections. I hope this little amount we are giving them can make an impact in their lives.”
Earlier in his sermon, Sheikh Abdulrazaq Alohunmota, urged the beneficiaries to make good use of the opportunity given to them, advising Kwarans to vote for youth at all levels, saying that Gen Muritala Muhammed, Tafawa Balewa and others assumed power during their youthful life.
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