—Owan Enoh
By Onwa Ekor
Minister of State for industry, Senator John Owan Enoh, has enthused that the N500m MSME Entrepreneurship Intervention program being doled out by him, should not be seen as a dash money for purposes of politics.
He said rather, “it is a brain wave driven by sincere commitment and responsibility to the society and public aimed at empowering 1000 persons.”
Addressing newsmen at the Ernest Etim Bassey NUJ Press Centre in Calabar, the Cross River capital, the minister explained that the gesture remains a private personal project which stands as his contribution to the ecosystem.
According to Enoh, “it is a grant not loan, a grant that will be stringent, not a dash money for purposes of politics, money that is intended to grow our economy and get people to do better.
“When I do so, I think more about delivering it than organising an event about it,” he remarked.
The minister added that,”the little contribution I am making also adds to the efforts of the governor of Cross River, Prince Bassey Otu, who recently carried out some interventions for the retirees as well as the provision of N1 billion counterpart fund to the Bank of Industry, for the benefit of the people of the state.”
Enoh further disclosed that the reason he is occupying a public office is to see how he can create and add to the happiness of people, maintaining that, he strives to see how Cross River would be able to build a cadre of entrepreneurs as industries and manufacturing are the greatest employers of labour, the world over.
Admitting that he has no hand in the selection process for beneficiaries as a committee is already saddled with such task, the minister assured that the empowerment program is not restricted to only CrossRiverians.
“As long as you have your business in Cross River and you are contributing to the economy of the state and you apply and meet the requirements, you will definitely benefit,” he assured.
Contributing, an online investigative journalist who doubles as the Head of the selection committee, Agba Jalingo, gave a breakdown of the process which he said places beneficiaries in two categories of formal and informal.
Jalingo said: “While the formal business owners will apply online through the official website, the informal business owners comprising of petty traders and artisans will apply through a physical form.
“Formal business owners will get a maximum of N500,000 each, while informal business owners will secure a maximum of N150,000,” he informed.
Other procedures he explained were, the program to run in four batches and for each of the batches, there will be a minimum of 150 beneficiaries in the formal category and a minimum of 325 beneficiaries in the informal business category.
He also pointed out that beneficiaries will be evenly distributed across the 18 local government areas of the state and will be picked based on LGA where business is located, not LGA of origin.
While training will hold in one location in each of the senatorial district, Jalingo added that, “selected beneficiaries will undergo a compulsory one week Entrepreneurship training with the Cross River Entrepreneurship Development Centre in Calabar.
