Yobe seeks jail term for empowerment tools sellers

The Yobe State government said a plan is underway to propose a 6 months jail term as punishment for  the sellers of empowerment items and tools given to them to practise skills and create employment.

 The state deputy governor, Hon Idi Barde Gubana, disclosed this to newsmen during the distribution of dry season farming inputs to the 1,500 beneficiaries by the Northeast Development Commission (NEDC) in Damaturu, the state capital.

He said the various empowerment packages, items, and tools had been distributed by the state government, senators and lawmakers to speed up post-insurgency recovery and wealth creation for stability and prosperity in the state, but unfortunately, most of the items were sold by the beneficiaries.

‘‘About thousands of youths from both urban and rural communities were empowered and supported with skill-acquisition materials such as Keke NAPEP, commercial pick-up tricycles also known as JEGA, irrigation farming tools, sewing machines among many others have been distributed by both the state government and other politicians to create employment opportunities and to combat poverty.

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 ‘‘Most of these beneficiaries when they leave the venue of the distribution, sell these items to the marketers, traders who are there waiting to buy; these habits had defeated the purpose of the programmes.

 He lamented that the state government is worried about the situation, saying the government is set to propose a 6-month jail term to the sellers of the empowerment items given to them by the government or organisation.

 ‘‘Let me tell you that, we are designing a new policy where every beneficiary of our programs would be required to submit a form that contained the signature and approval of his ward head, the village head, the district head, the council chairman, and his (beneficiary signature) upon which item will not be sold. 

‘‘Once he or they sold the items, a 6-month jail term as punishment is waiting for him or them and no one will forgive you. Because we are tired with this backward thinking of selling empowerment tools that were given to you’’ he said.

 ‘‘This is not the time for us to be joking, we need to be serious, and we need to sit up. We have an uncountable number of people that have nothing to do and want you to be leaders of tomorrow our time is going’’ He added.

 He urged 1,500 beneficiaries of the dry season farming inputs to put the items to good use and justify the millions of naira spent on the items. 

In his remark, the Managing Director, NEDC Muhammad Goni Alkali, represented by the State Coordinator, Professor Ali Abba, said the intervention was provided in collaboration with the Yobe State government to ensure food production and security in the state.