The wife of the Cross River State Governor, Eyoanwan Otu, has empowered rural communities with a wide range of livelihood support items aimed at boosting household incomes and reducing poverty.
The intervention, carried out through her pet organisation, Humanities Without Borders (HUWIB), was held at Idim Ndom village in Eki Ward for citizens resident within Odukpani local government area of Cross River State, south-south Nigeria.
Reverend Otu distributed livelihood support items such as fishing boats, motorcycles, and minibuses for commercial transport, as well as hairdressing and tailoring kits, barbing tools, and welding equipment for artisans.
The beneficiaries also received maternal care kits, exercise books, and more than 1,000 bags of 10-kg rice to be redistributed to pregnant and nursing mothers, schoolchildren, and the elderly.
Speaking before the distribution exercise, the wife of the Cross River State governor said that the livelihood support scheme under HUWIB was achieved with the contributions of close friends and partners dedicated to uplifting the plight of citizens, especially those in rural communities.
She stated that for the intervention, the items included “10 boats with engines”. I brought 18 sewing machines, 12 hairdressing salon kits, 20 motorcycles, 6 minibuses, 30 solar lights, Mma Adiaha’s pregnant kids, Mma Adiaha’s mother and child care kits, and cash empowerment for 30 market women at ₦100,000 each. These should help the 30 people with petty trading or businesses.
“Then, I have 18 grinding machines and 18 barbing salon kits, which include clippers and generators to aid your business. And then, we are giving 30 POS machines with ₦20,000 on each of your starter packs,” she said.
Continuing, the wife of the governor stated, “I did this out of people’s goodwill to me. I felt I could not eat all alone, so I decided to share these items with my brothers and sisters across the state.”
She expressed appreciation to those whose contributions made the humanitarian assistance possible for people in the rural communities.
“I will not fail to thank those that supported HUWIB to reach these people in our communities. I am thankful to Edwin Okon, Ben Akak and Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong and so many others, who made this possible. And I cannot stop mentioning that otherwise, posterity will not judge me fair,” she noted.
She promised to intimate Governor Bassey Otu of the need to extend the state’s rural electrification projects to areas yet to be connected to the national grid or that could harness solar energy to power their homes and businesses.
In separate goodwill messages, the senator representing Cross River South, Asuquo Ekpenyong, commended the first lady for what he described as a “thoughtful grassroots intervention,” urging beneficiaries to use the items effectively to improve their livelihoods rather than sell them off.
Also speaking, the Deputy National Treasurer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ben Akak, lauded the initiative as timely and impactful, noting that such empowerment programmes complement the government’s efforts to reduce poverty and stimulate economic activity at the community level.
Similarly, the Chairman of the Cross River State Internal Revenue Service, Edwin Okon, who spoke in English and the local languages, advised the beneficiaries to see the items as seed capital for sustainable income generation, stressing that proper utilisation would not only benefit their families but, contribute to the overall development of the state.
Some of the beneficiaries and community leaders expressed appreciation to HUWIB and the wife of the governor for the gesture, describing the intervention as a lifeline that would help lift many families out of economic hardship.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mary Effiong said, “We pledged to make judicious use of the items to improve our income and living conditions. This is the first of its kind here. We have been hearing about empowerment of this nature, but the Eki people are beneficiaries of this gesture. We are very happy.”
The stakeholders at the event also reaffirmed their support for the administration of Governor Bassey Otu, noting that initiatives targeted at grassroots empowerment remain critical to inclusive growth and sustainable development across the state.
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