A frontline Benue governorship aspirant, Mr Mathias Byuan, has promised to create a Ministry of Welfare and Empowerment to fight hunger and poverty in the state when he becomes governor.
Buyan made the promise in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr Akange Nyagba, and made available to newsmen yesterday in Makurdi.
The governorship, who is the Executive Director of Housing, Finance and Accounts, Federal Housing Authority, said he would prioritise welfare and empowerment to eliminate hunger and dwell on rural emancipation.
He said the new ministry will not be like the State Emergency Management Agency that distributes relief materials but a human development hub to address the root cause of poverty and grant the people the opportunity to own their freedom from hunger and poverty.
Buyan stated that his administration would focus on massive construction of rural roads and agriculture enhancement and would re-engineer security to end the spate of killings.
The executive director added that he would domesticate President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda policy to achieve his poverty alleviation programme in Benue.
According to him, empowering the people must go beyond payment of salary/pensions and provision of physical infrastructure predominantly in the state capital with few in the governor’s community.
He explained that other citizens would be supported through deliberate agricultural schemes, skills acquisition, subcontracts, and sundry empowerment programmes with grants and support funds for artisans, farmers, and other vocations.
“There’s hunger in the state, and poverty has reduced the people to mere spectators as major contracts are all awarded to companies that outsource labour, which amounts to capital flight,” he added.
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