The Cross River State Government has disbursed the sum of ₦250 million self enhancement entrepreneurial grant to 500 retirees from the civil service in the state.
The grant, ₦500,000 per beneficiary, aims to support retirees in starting sustainable business ventures to complement their monthly pensions.
During presentation of cheques to the beneficiaries, Governor Bassey Otu declared that the grant was not meant for their daily upkeep, stressing that their monthly pension is still being paid promptly.
Represented at the occasion by his deputy Rt. Hon. Peter Odey, the governor charged the beneficiaries to see the gesture as an opportunity to embark on self-sustaining business ventures to complement their monthly pensions.
The governor also announced plans to present a bill to the state House of Assembly for the establishment of Senior Citizens Development Centres in Calabar, Ikom and Ogoja local government areas, to sustain the programme.
He charged them to ensure that the grant is put to judicious use, stressing that the N500,000 grant per beneficiary was capable of taking care of a small business that would keep them busy instead of remaining idle while awaiting payment of pension.
A beneficiary who retired from the state fire service, Madam Ako Essien praised the state governor for his love and compassion to them.
Essien pointed out that beneficiaries were initially skeptical about the sincerity of government to extend such gesture to them when enrolled for the three months training.
She explained that while waiting for the grant after the training programme, she carried out a business survey and decided to set up a poultry feed shop.
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