The wife of Rivers State Governor, Lady Valerie Siminalayi Fubara, has presented cheques of N10 million to 20 women farmers, the first batch of beneficiaries of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) Women Agricultural Support Programme.
Mrs Fubara handed over the dummy cheques at an event organised at the Banquet Hall of Government House in Port Harcourt on Wednesday. The beneficiaries were told to commit the money to boosting their agricultural yields.
She explained that the exercise was to flag off another critical phase of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) in Rivers State, a pet project of Her Excellency, First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
She said, “I, therefore, bring you the felicitations of the founder of this initiative, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who is working assiduously to bring smiles to the faces of families in our dear nation.
“In the recent past, the Renewed Hope Initiative, through its Rivers State Office, has flagged off its support for the elderly; presented exercise books to school children through the Ministry of Education and State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB); and some measures of support to ease the burden of families.
“A son of the state has also benefited from the Belarus RHI International Scholarship. This gesture, no matter how little, has been greatly appreciated by the recipients, and I cannot thank Her Excellency Senator Oluremi Tinubu enough for her foresight and commitment to this vision.”
Lady Fubara noted that in addition to the cheques presented to the first batch of 20 beneficiaries of the Renewed Hope Initiative Women in Agriculture Support Programme, 80 more beneficiaries will be accommodated in subsequent phases of the programme as directed by the board.
She reminded the beneficiaries that the money given to them now may not represent all they needed to boost their investments in the sector but added that it represented the efforts of a genuinely caring mother who did not want to sit back and allow her children suffer.
She said, “It is a seed investment in your agricultural businesses that is backed by the prayers of the founder for you to succeed. So, I urge you to make the best use of it”.
Lady Fubara further said: “You owe it as a sacred duty to ensure that these investments lead to increased and improved harvests from our farms in the next few months.
“I urge you to be frugal in the use of this seed money, and see it as a call from the Wife of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, to assist in building a strong support base for the agricultural revolution in Nigeria.”
Lady Fubara said the administration of Governor Siminalayi Fubara had commenced the review of agricultural policies to mitigate the challenges experienced in the sector.
In her goodwill speech, Rivers State Deputy Governor Prof Ngozi Odu said Rivers women are blessed to have Lady Fubara, who has continued to champion causes geared towards improving the living conditions and economic status of women in the state on an inclusive basis.
She noted that if the beneficiaries commit the money to their agro-businesses, they will eventually positively impact the state while greatly benefiting their personal lives, families, and communities.
Also, the pro-chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Rivers State University, retired Justice Mary Odili, commended the governor’s wife for linking up and working cordially with the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who has vast experience, to attract diverse benefits to women and youths in the state.
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