29th October, 2022
The Governor of Osun State, Adegboyega Oyetola on Friday, less than one month to the end of his tenure, launched a N20- million monthly social support scheme in Osogbo to tackle poverty and protect vulnerable persons.
Oyetola is due to hand over the reins of power to Ademola Adeleke, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who won the 16 July governorship election in Osun.
The initiative, according to the governor, targets 4,000 beneficiaries to widen the state’s social inclusion net, empower the less privileged and raise their standard of living.
Gov. Oyetola who flagged off the disbursement said his administration had injected huge capital inflow into various social protection initiatives.
Oyetola said his administration was collaborating with the Federal Government and the private sector to enhance the welfare and well-being of the people of the state.
“As part of our objective to give a better life to the poor, we have given social protection a pride of place with more than 14 social investment programmes targeted at the elderly, the youth, the poor, and school children.
“These expansive programmes and the attendant impact we have recorded have earned us encomiums and prompted the Federal Government to send a delegation to understudy our schemes.
“The initiatives are intended to bring all strata of society into the welfare net, banish hunger, terminate mystery, spread prosperity and stabilise the economy of the state,’’ he said.
The governor assured that his administration would continue to assist women, people living with disabilities and the aged to develop income-generating activities to make them contribute to the economic potential of the state.
He urged beneficiaries to engage in productive ventures that would turn their situations around.
In his remarks, Commissioner for Regional Integration and Special Duties, Mr Olalekan Badmus, said the scheme aimed at bringing relief to the less-privileged.
He added that all ongoing intervention programmes in the state were made possible by the government’s resolve to bring happiness to citizens, particularly to the vulnerable.