The Acting Governor of Delta State, Sir Monday Onyeme has said that the state government had robust policies and programmes geared towards the empowerment of women and the girl-child, in line with the MORE agenda.
The Acting governor also promised to partner with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development in the empowerment of women in different areas of trade and skill development.
Onyeme stated this on Monday when he received the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye at Government House, Asaba.
The Acting governor said several women have been empowered recently with skills and agriculture inputs, noting that the state partnership with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs would help to reach out to more women and expand the scope of its empowerment.
Onyeme disclosed that Delta has the Ministries of Women Affairs, and that of the Girl Child and Humanitarian Affairs, emphasizing the importance the state government placed on the development of the girl child and women.
The Acting governor reiterated the need for government programmes to get to the targeted people, urging those with such responsibilities to ensure that expected results were achieved.
Sir Onyeme decried the misallocation, misapplication and mismanagement of funds meant for specific purposes, particularly under the guise of consultancy and other frivolous items and assured the Minister of the government’s commitment to partner with the ministry on its agricultural programnes for Delta women.
According to him; “Misallocation, misapplication and mismanagement of fund are the things bedeviling this country for a very long time. Taking loans for purposes that are not beneficial to Nigerians, what you see are various forms of consultancy, consultations.
“We have seen where some governments spend four years on consultation, drawing the master plan of a State. In four years, they are still drawing the master plan and world bodies will bring millions of dollars just for a state to draw a master plan and at the end of the day nothing comes out of it.”
Sir Onyeme commended the Minister of Women Affairs, Honourable Uju Kennedy -Ohanenye for her programmes geared towards the upliftment of the Nigerian women through agriculture and skill development.
The Acting Governor said; “I am very happy with your ministry’s direction and purpose and wish you success because your success is the success of all Nigerians. People should take responsibility and try to change the way we do things that has not been working for us in the past. That is the only way we can achieve that greatness and freedom that has eluded us for some many years”.
Earlier, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Honourable Uju Kennedy -Ohanenyesaid she was in Delta to meet with all relevant stakeholders in order to drive the ministry’s programmes for women successfully.
She said President Bola Tinubu was determined to fix the nation’s economy, adding that she was strongly opposed to illegal deals in the ministry which had shortchanged several beneficiaries from getting government genuine empowerment.
Hon. Ohanenye observed that she discovered some persons attracted foreign loans for the government only to use consultancy to take a better chunk of the money,thereby shortchanging the would-be beneficiaries of such programs.
The Minister said she was seeking partnership with the state government for women empowerment in the areas of skill and agricultural development with the provision of modern equipment that would make life easy for women to carry out their trade.
She solicited for land to enable the federal ministry toallocate to women for farming purposes, promising to assist them with farm implements and inputs.
