Ebenezer Adurokiya – Warri
To further stem the tide of youth restiveness and militancy as well as the current hardship, a member of the House of Representatives representing Warri Federal Constituency, Chief Thomas Ereyitomi, has empowered youths and women with tricycles, boats and cash.
Though of Itsekiri stock, Ereyitomi, who’s of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), said he ensured the empowerment packs went round beneficiaries drawn from Itsekiri, Ijaw and Urhobo and non-indigenes of Warri South, Warri North and Warri South-West local government areas which make up his constituency.
In a ceremony spiced with cultural dances from the three ethnic nationalities on Wednesday, hundreds of supporters of the Reps member rejoiced at the empowerment less 72 hours to the presidential and National Assembly elections.
Speaking at the ceremony tagged: ‘The Zonal Intervention/Empowerment Ceremony,” held at Rice Farm, Esisi Road, Warri on Wednesday, Chief Ereyitomi, who’s gunning for a second term, said the empowerment was to make the beneficiaries business owners to boost commerce and industry as well as reduce unemployment and poverty in his constituency.
According to him, the empowerment “will also help mitigate youth restiveness and other related social vices in the constituency and add value to the living standard of the people both financially and socially.
“In my private capacity as a member of the House of Representatives, I have been empowering people from diverse backgrounds without making such gestures public.
“To my surprise such gestures still found their ways into the public psyche despite my intention to shield them from public consciousness.
“You will recall that by God’s grace and with your mandate as your representative, tricycles otherwise known as keke, big boats with 40HP Yamaha engines, small boats with 15 HP Yamaha engines, fishing nets and sewing machines worth millions of naira were presented to various beneficiaries across the 3 Warri LGAS that make up our Federal Constituency in the recent past.
“Similarly, this time around we are also giving out Boats with 25 HP Yamaha Engines, 40HP Yamaha Engines, 15 HP Yamaha Engines, tricycles and cash gifts worth millions of Naira to the beneficiaries, who are bonafide party members and indigenes of the various communities in our constituency.
“To the beneficiaries, this is an opportunity to improve on your economic lives and activities. I therefore charge you to put the items given to you into proper use just as I appreciate your support for about three and half years of representing you in the 9th Assembly,” he charged.
One of the beneficiaries, Chris Amos from Ogbe-Ijoh, who got a special boat and an outboard engine motor directly from the donor, thanked the donor, urging members of the constituency to return Ereyitomi to the green chambers come Saturday February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections.
Dignitaries at the event included
former Commissioner and Obarisuwa of Warri Kingdom, Chief Joseph Otumara, former member of the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Patrick Fregene and former Commissioner of Works, Mr Frank Omare, among others.
