Minister for Humanitarian affairs and Poverty Alleviation,Dr Betta Edu in Isheri

Adejoke Adeleye Ogun

Minister for Humanitarian affairs and Poverty Alleviation,Dr Betta Edu,has charged the communities affected by flood to make Cleanliness of the environment a priority to avoid more flood.

The Minister who went to give relief materials to victims of Flood in Isheri Ifo Local government recently  made the charges while speaking with leaders of the communities.

She noted that while she was coming with her entourage she noticed empty bottles and other dirts had blocked many of the drainages which has prevent free flow of water when rainfalls.

She however call the the leader to help the government by allowing cleanliness of their environment.

“Ogun state is a state that is dear to my heart. While I was coming I saw some holes that looks like drainage,whether they are drainage or not there are lots of dirts like empty bottles,water roof,this and that, it shouldn’t be these are part of things that are blocking the free flow of water at the drainage,whatever it is I think they should be re-channel.

The Ministry of Water resources and Ministry of Environment,they will work with my humble self to see how we can bring a permanent solution to this,that’s the renewed Hope Message from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who will not fail and we will not fail.

However I will plead for an immediate intervention if there is anything we can start doing to prevent future occurence let it be done.

Your chairman and the Kabiesi of Isheri had said they will prefer a permanent solution and I do appreciate it and we will work towards that.

We have said it at FEC before and we will present it again, meanwhile It is the duty of my ministry to ensure those who have been affected are given some form of relief that is what is directly under my mandates,so my mandate is to see that first in the main time you have a sort of relief and going forward we can support those whose their livelihood have been affected.

I have been to camps at Nasfat,Deeperlife and Redeem I have spoken to them and have promised to see what we can do to those whose businesses have been affected. We will support them to get back their livelihood

I promise to raise the one of boofer dam, we have raised it before during a FEC and I will raise it again and we will ensure that is done so that this will be the last time we will bring relief materials to you.

For us we want to put our energy on creating job,supporting businesses to grow we don’t want to put our energy on humanitarian crisis causes by flood so anything that can prevent that flood I will put my mouth and support it hundred percent.

Earlier before the palliatives,the Minister had visited the Adire Market in the state has disclosed the readiness of the Federal government of Nigeria under the leadership of President Ahmed Tinubu to support locally made production and subsidize the ADIRE fabrics for Nigerians.

She also assured that the government will make sure the products are known in the world market, adding that there is need for government to ban importation of foreign Adire product.

She however, revealed the programmes that government is ready to embark on to utilize the previous opportunities in Adire to lift millions of vulnerable Nigerians out of poverty.

“First, you must be able to push local production to meet the demand. Local production must be enhanced at all cost to meet the demand. When local products enhanced, subsided and supported by government, it will automatically eliminate whatever fluntuate coming in to the market.

“We don’t want to be selling fake ADIRE. Made in China ADIRE and brought into Nigeria. What we want is a local ones made by our people to create jobs, it will build Micro and Macro economy and it will help Nigeria to be more of the manufacturing country rather than an importing country. This are the things that are affecting an exchange rate and other indexes in Nigeria. Government to provide that subsidy for the people, so we take the fuel subsidy of the fuel, we will provide it for the ADIRE makers so that they can provide local ADIRE that will be used and exported out of the country.

“I was so happy yesterday when the governor and his team, commissioners said they are going to create hubs in Abuja where the original ADIRE would be sold. This is taking Abeokuta in Ogun State to the world, and this hubs can be created even at Embassy in other countries around the world where we can export ADIRE and sold.

“This is original one not the fake which is imitated and brought in. For us if we support the local manufacturers, subsidize this for them, bring more people in to this to meet the demand, it will automatically eliminate the ones that coming in to country.

“We are here today in Ogun State basically, we want to see those areas we can support persons who are poor and be alleviated out of poverty and to get for of livelihood and skills that will help them strive and sustain families and of course come out of poverty. We have identified about Five things with governor yesterday. Governor and his team, commissioners five things we can do almost immediately that will really touch lives in Ogun State and this will be able to cover about 100 persons in Ogun State. Part of what we identified yesterday was the ADIRE creation which is really very typical to Ogun people; it is kind of their identify and what they are known to do very well.

“ADIRE has both the local production and modern production. We’ve been in the market to pick up some of the fabrics, interact with the market people and Iyaloja all are here with us. We try to find out the what does it really take to get one of this products, how much do they cost interms of product and final product on how they do cost in the market. This cloth I’m handling is #15,200, we have some the 25,000, 75,000 in the shops. We have come here to see how it locally made, the part of the process, dying stage, the drying and all of these stages that finally get to beautiful fabrics that will sell and export.

We are planning immediate to come and start the training, create new cluster for ADIRE in two other senatorial districts where it did not exist before. After that training, we will do a fashion show of ADIRE just to launch them out and ensure that they now get the new customers that will support them.

ADIRE is precious fabrics all over the world, people recognize and identify with it, so we can build the local production and ensure that more and more people get some of the livelihood, new skills and be able to make money for themselves and their families. Remember the President has targeted the next 42months to lift 50millions Nigerians our of poverty. This are the way we intend to do it.

The Commissioner for Special Duties Mrs Funmilayo Efuape thank the president and his cabinet for immediate intervention and promised to put in her best anytime the federal government is ready to put a permanent solution to the issue of Flood in the state.

The leaders of from the various communities in Isheri thank the president too and note that they are not hungry,they are not interested in palliatives but all they crave for is permanent solution to the yearly flood which rendering them homeless every year.