Date: 2018-11-17

....disburses #10m to them jump start businesses A philanthropist and chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Mallam Saliu Mustapha on Saturday in Ilorin disturbed N10 million to 100 beneficiaries to further empower them in their businesses.

While presenting the cash to the beneficiaries, Mallam Idris Alata, the chairman of the empowerment programme committee stated that the event was aimed to address poverty among the downtrodden in the society.

According to him, the beneficiaries were carefully selected from the 16 local government councils of the state. Alata noted that the programme would be in batches in a bid to ensure the needs of the downtrodden are met. "It is the good intention he has for Kwara because he is one of the aspirants for the 2019 governorship election in the state, but he did not emerge.

"However, he is not deterred in his aim to eradicate poverty level in our society", he said.

The committee chairman also explained that the committee had been directed to monitor the beneficiaries to ensure the money is put into a judicious use.

The committee, he said would also monitor to ascertain if the money was enough for the businesses or not so as to recommend a top up.

In her reaction on the sideline of the event, one of the beneficiaries, Ajibola Baraje expressed delighted over the programme.

Baraje, who expressed interest in cosmetic business, promised to use the money well.

She expressed gratitude to the philanthropist with an appeal to other well-to-do individuals to emulate the gesture of the APC chieftain.