Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo on Monday distributed N100,000 to 3,500 women to unveil the administration’s empowerment programme.
The governor, who personally handed over the cheques to the beneficiaries, said the programme was to keep faith with his electoral promise.
He said the start-up capital would help them to establish small-scale businesses and pay back the soft loan gradually.
Okorocha promised that those who pay back the facility would be given double the initial amount given to them.
He expressed the hope that the programme would help to reduce poverty in the state, particularly among women.
“This is not the first time we are embarking on empowerment programme; we have donated N500 million to the Niger Delta women and youths as part of efforts to empower them.
“One of the greatest empowerment I have offered Imo people is free education which has enabled our women to save money which could have been used to pay school fees,” he said.
Okorocha said traditional rulers would stand as guarantors to the women to ensure that the right people get the
loan.
The wife of the governor, Nkechi, who also spoke at the occasion, hoped that the soft loan would be utilised to establish good businesses.
She thanked the governor for the intervention and urged the beneficiaries to reciprocate the gesture by contributing their quota to the development of the state.
