No fewer than 300 widows including 300 youths benefitted from over N20million empowerment programme powered by the House of Representatives candidate of the Accord party to represent Ekiti, Oke-Ero, Irepodun and Isin Federal Constituency, Hon Olayemi Afolayan-Jejeloye.
The programme which was held at Oke-Onigbin saw the olds and youngs from the constituency attended the event and the beneficiaries were drawn from the 45 wards that made up the constituency.
The organiser in his remarks said the purpose of the event is to empower his people and to particular make the youths who were unemployed self-reliant and independent.
He also disclosed that the your who were drawn from the 45 wards that made up the constituency were given POS devices and start-up grant and each of the widows were given foodstuffs with N10,000 to support them.
He advised the youths to make judicious use of the devices to make money and make themselves as well as their families comfortable.
He explained that he chose to empower the youths with the intention of arresting youths unrest and creating employment for the youths in the constituency.
He therefore, appealed to Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) and all security agencies to speed up and firm up their discussion on criminalising votes buying.
According to him, “If votes buying becomes criminal offense, if people are actually arrested, tried and send to jail including politicians themselves, people will desist and shy away from it”.
Jejeloye also praised the President for signing the new electoral act, he said the new act had made the process seamless and quick, saying that the swiftness at the election results are being announced made manipulation and rigging difficult.
With the new electoral act according to him, opportunity for rigging and manipulation had been drastically reduced and expressed optimism that comes 2023 votes would count.
The State Publicity Secretary of the Accord Party, Mr Abdullateef Oloyin, praised organiser for the support and urged the people of the area to support the party candidate for quality representation at the green chambers.
The Isin Local Government Area, Accord Party Chairman, Mr Aremu Olabisi, expressed gratitude to the party candidate for the kind gesture, saying that the gesture would be reciprocated with massive vote for him in the coming election.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Miss Shotunde Aminat, thanked the organizer and promised to use the devices for the purpose it was meant for.