The entrepreneurial bank being planned by the Federal Government will provide low interest loan to Nigerians when operational.
Yemi Osinbajo, Nigeria’s vice president who stated this during the governorship campaign rally of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nsit Atai Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, added that the Federal Government is determined not only to provide jobs for the youth but would ensure that the youth have quality jobs.
“We are starting the Entrepreneurial Bank to give loans at low interest rate to those who have Plans for the future,” Osinbajo said.
The vice president disclosed that the home grown feeding programme of the federal government has provided meals for 9.2 million children so far adding that 6.8 million eggs were being given out to school children weekly.
According to him, “The home-grown feeding programme has created hundreds of jobs for food vendors and cooks across the country”, adding that with the N-Power programme for unemployed youths, every young Nigerian would be taken to the “next level of development by the Federal Government.”
He disclosed that the federal government has plans to replace crude oil with palm oil pointing out with the availability of palm oil in Akwa Ibom State, the state would be among the first beneficiary of the plan.
The vice president who was in Akwa Ibom to launch the traders’ money scheme appealed to the people of the state to vote for APC and ensure that Akwa Ibom State remained in the mainstream of governance rather than being in opposition.
“We have found here palm oil which will be a replacement of crude oil, so this local government is going to be number one. That is one of the reasons that you must join the Federal government under the APC.
“Akwa Ibom should not be in opposition. There is every reason for you to join so that you become part of the next level. All of the young people who are here, the government of President Buhari is determined to make sure that not only do you have jobs, you have quality jobs. That is one of the most important things we are doing. That is why you must support APC.
“N-Power is only the beginning; we are starting something called the entrepreneur bank. That bank is for giving loans to men and women like this in N-Power who have a plan for the future. The loans will be given to them at very little interest rate so that they can start their own businesses, and so that they can make progress.
“When we said in 2015 that we will start N-Power, they said it is impossible, how can you employ 500,000 people but we have done it. When we said we are going to do home grown school feeding, today we are feeding 9.2million children all over Nigeria. They say it is impossible but home grown school feeding is here. Home grown school feeding used 6.8million eggs in one week, and we are expanding it,” he said.
In his remarks, Nsima Ekere, the governorship candidate of the APC, promised to domesticate the social investment programme of the Federal Government in Akwa Ibom State if elected as part of efforts aimed at poverty alleviation
Ekere who recently resigned his position as the managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) reiterated his campaign promise based on five pillars of change which include wealth creation and the creation of new clan of entrepreneurs among others.
According to him, the contribution of the state to the national economy would be in the area of palm oil development adding that attention would also be to improve the health, education and the social intervention programme.
Others including Don Etiebet, a chieftain of the party, Umanah Okon Umanah and Sam Ewang as well as Godswill Akpabio, a former governor of the state assured the Vice President that APC would be returned as the winner of the upcoming general elections in the state.
ANIEFIOK UDONQUAK, Uyo
