Ekiti monarch hails FG for TraderMoni initiative

The Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Oba Rufus Adejugbe, has commended the the Federal Government for empowering common people through the TraderMoni scheme.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the monarch made the commendation when Vice President Yemi Osinbajo paid him a courtesy visit in his palace at Ado Ekiti on Monday.

TraderMoni Scheme is an initiative of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration aimed at empowering petty traders by giving collateral-free loan of N10,000.

The monarch said that the vice president had shown huge concern for the ordinary Nigerians in the course of the scheme’s implementation.

“I thank you for coming; you could decide to remain in your office in Abuja; but you want to go and see for yourself the scene, the victims and how the people are faring.

“I saw you going round the markets and I said wow! –the vice president of this country going round the market?

“ You feel the way common people are feeling; that is the way you can know how to come to their aid; you reduce yourself to their level; we need people of integrity,’’ he said.

The royal father used the opportunity to appeal to the federal government to implement more people-oriented programmes in the state.

According to him, some roads in the state are in bad state and required speedy attention before the rains.

The vice president had earlier in a remark praised the traditional ruler for being a guidance and contribution to the development of the state and Nigeria as a whole.

Osinbajo said he was in the palace to commiserate with the monarch on the tragedy that occurred at Iworoko, Ekiti, where many lives were lost and property destroyed when a truck lost control and crashed into the market.

The vice president also extended his condolences to the monarch over the death of the traditional ruler of Iworoko, Oba Michael Aladejana, who passed on five days after the market disaster.

He said he was in the state to inaugurate the state edition of the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises(MSMEs) clinic and to campaign for the re-election bid of president Buhari.

“We take MSMEs clinic from state to state to promote small businesses.

“We are campaigning for re-election and we can’t do so without informing you.

“One thing thing that Buhari is known for is his personal integrity; he will use Nigeria’ money purely for development of Nigeria.”

He listed some of the completed and ongoing projects as Lagos-Ibadan railway, Lagos-Ibadan expressway, Itakpe-Warri railway, Abuja- Kaduna railway, Abuja light rail among others.

In a remark, Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti said that having visited the scene of the fatal accident at Iwokoro and commiserated with the people and the family of the late Olufemi, the vice president deemed it wise to pay a courtesy visit to Oba Adejugbe.

Osinbajo also visited Awedele Market and Oja Oba market in Ado Ekiti before proceeding to Ikere-Ekiti.

At Ikere, the vice president visited the family of Mr Asana Joel for a chat, and also paid a courtesy visit to the traditional ruler of Ikere, Oba Adejimi Alagbado before heading to Odo-Oja market, Ikere, where he addressed a cheering crowd.