The Ebonyi State Government has said that it has put modalities in place for the economic empowerment of 235 spouses of various security personnel including the Army, Police and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), among others in the State.

The Commissioner for Economic Empowerment and Job Creation, Mr Uchenna Orji, stated this in Abakaliki while briefing newsmen on the numerous empowerment schemes of the present administration.

The Commissioner who added that the beneficiaries would be empowered with the sum of N250,000 each stated that the purpose of the scheme was to ensure that no segment of the state was left out in the state government’s policy of ensuring sustainable human capital development at all levels.

Orji further stated that the beneficiaries would be trained in different locations such as Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Ikwo, FUNAI Ebonyi State University, EBSU and Federal Colleague of Agriculture, Ishiagu in three senatorial zones of state to enable them acquire knowledge and skill on how best to invest the empowerment benefits.

“Spouses of various security personnel numbering about 235 would soon be empowered with N250,000 each. This would ensure their economic empowerment and sustainability. The beneficiaries will be trained in the 3 senatorial zones such as Federal College of Agriculture,

Ishiagu, FUNIA, and Ebonyi State University, EBSU so that they can appreciate the impact of the empowerment scheme and utilise it for themselves and for humanity. They are being shortlisted and the empowerment will be in batches.”

He called on the beneficiaries of the 400 tricycles recently distributed to Ebonyians in the State and Onitsha to make judicious use of the machineries for their wellbeing and desist from any attempt aimed at selling it to anybody as such action had dire consequences.

“The vision of Governor David Umahi is to improve the living standard of the people at all levels; for the records, we have empowered 3,000 youths/women to the tune of N750m; youths numbering 540 in Lagos with 140m; Ebonyians in Onitsha were given 140 tricycles; while widows numbering 4,000 got N400,000m.”