***Empowers 35 business entrepreneurs with ₦250,000 each
By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja
Kogi State Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Chief Mukadam Asiwaju Asiru Idris has commissioned six solar-powered motorized boreholes across communities in Yagba East Local Government.
A statement from Media Office of the Commissioner, made available to newsmen in Lokoja said the the effort was to ensure sustainability and uninterrupted access to potable water across communities in the Area.
The statement said that the inauguration and empowerment programmes of the Finance Commissioner were part of activities deliberately planned to mark his birthday celebration.
It added that the gesture was aimed at improving public health, supporting household needs, and easing the daily burden on residents, particularly women and children.
As part of the empowerment programme, according to the statement, the Commissioner disbursed ₦50,000 each to hundreds of beneficiaries across the six political wards in the southern axis of the Local Government. 
The beneficiaries who were carefully drawn from grassroots supporters, artisans, traders, youths, and vulnerable individuals, received the cash support to stimulate small-scale economic activities and improve household livelihoods.
In addition to the ward-based cash empowerment, Chief Mukadam Asiwaju Asiru Idris rolled out a broad spectrum of empowerment initiatives cutting across entrepreneurship, party strengthening, women inclusion, and humanitarian support:
He donated ₦250,000 each to 35 business entrepreneurs in Yagba East to boost small and medium-scale enterprises, ₦15 million to APC Party Executives at the Ward and Local Government levels.
He also donated ₦1 million each to five (5) APC Women Leaders in recognition of their commitment and leadership as well as a bus donated to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Yagba East Chapter.
The Commissioner further presented four cars to loyal party stakeholders and 10 motorcycles to enhance grassroots mobilization while gifting 10 deep freezers, 10 generators, 10 hair dryers, 10 clippers and 10 branding machines
As part of the humanitarian component of the celebration, the Commissioner also distributed essential relief items, including: 1,000 pieces of wrappers, 1,000 bags of rice made up of 10kg and 5kg variants for women, party faithful, and vulnerable groups.
The Commissioner used the occasion to inaugurate the Tinubu/Ododo 2027 Continuity Support Group and made a strong political statement, signaling robust grassroots endorsement for the continuity and reform agenda of President Tinubu and Governor Ododo.
Stakeholders at the event described the Commissioner as a leader whose celebrations consistently translate into tangible benefits for the people.
They applauded Asiwaju Ashiru Idris for effortlessly combining infrastructure development, economic empowerment, party unity, and social welfare. (Ends)
