12th July, 2012
The Lagos State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, has commended a member of the State Assembly, Omowunmi Olatunji-Edet over the empowerment of the people of her Oshodi/Isolo Constituency 2.
Orelope-Adefulire, who spoke during the distribution of various materials to 100 residents of the Constituency, said the lawmaker had consistently shown that apart from lawmaking, another important aspect of life is to touch others.
According to her, it is only when people are financial empowered that there would be peace in their homes and the society since when a woman is empowered; it would help to reduce domestic violence.
“This is why we organise short-term vocational training programmes for women in Lagos State .
“The legislators are complementing the efforts of the executive in this regard and that is good,” she said.
The deputy Governor urged the women to do their best to retain their men by cooking good food and making the bedrooms interesting while advising men against polygamy and abandoning their homes.
Items given out by the lawmaker included deep freezers, refrigerators, pop-corn making machines, recharge card printing machines, sewing machines, driers, standing fans and pepper grinding machines among others.
While addressing the beneficiaries, the lawmaker stated that apart from lawmaking and oversight functions, she had actively participated in activities for the betterment of the State.
The lawmaker, who had assisted youths and the aged in the Constituency, added that, “over 200 students have benefited from our scholarship scheme; we have empowered widows, given interest-free loans to market men and women.
“For the empowerment we are having today, we have selected people from the 13 wards in the area, and those who would not benefit now should wait for their time since another one is still coming.”
On her selection process for the beneficiaries, she said: “I have 1.2 million people in the Constituency, can you cater for all of them?
“Each time I want to do this, I look at between 100 and 150 people. So, in my budget, I provide for about 150 people, it cost millions of naira to put this kind of things together, but the joy is that at the end, you would make people laugh.
She stressed that if well meaning Nigerians embarked on such gestures, the society would be a better place
The lawmaker stated that the materials were given to people based on their professions.
“I want to advise the beneficiaries that what they are getting today is somebody’s sweat and that if they don’t make proper use of it, then it means they are saying that the person who gave it to them is a fool.
“I will advise them to make use of the items and empower others, as we are giving to them, they should affect other lives too,” she said.
Most of the beneficiaries, while commending the lawmaker, said that the programme was laudable.
They also promised to make good use of the materials.