The Speaker Adamawa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Bathiya Wesley, on Saturday, donated 3,000 bags of rice and maize to the less privileged and several other electorate in his constituency.
Rt. Hon. Bathiya also donated cash to the beneficiaries to enable them transport the bags of grains distributed to them to their various communities.
Flagging off the distribution at Government Lodge in Hong LGA, Rt. Hon. Bathiya Wesley said that the distribution is part of his commitment to provide food intervention to his teeming constituents.
He stated that he is moved to embark on the gesture this year due to the economic hardship being faced by the citizens, saying that the foodstuffs will go along way in cushioning the current hardship in the society.
He recalled that apart from lawmaking, he was able to intervene in education, healthcare delivery, provision of portable water, rural fedder roads youths and women empowerment programmes among others during his first tenure.
According to him, during his first tenure, he had provided infrastructure in schools and other social amenities as the basic needs of his constituency projects which they are still enjoying.
“This time around, I have considered the current economic challenges and level of hunger bedeveilling our people and decided to embark on food intervention as my constituency project”, he further explained.
According to him, the distribution committee of the food items had already selected the vulnerable and the less privileged in all communities in Hong constituency.
“I want to thank our amiable Governor, Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri for his support to the assembly and for giving us free hand to deliver on our mandate because without his support, we will not achieve the feat.
“It is on record that some Governors in the country do not think of constituency allowances to the lawmakers due to the economic realities, but the peoples’ Governor was able to approve it for us”, he added.
In his goodwill message on behalf of the members, the former Speaker and member representing Girei constituency, Rt. Hon. Abdullahi Abubakar, appealed for support as well as prayers for the speaker and Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri led administration.
Rt. Hon. Abdullahi, said that the Speaker has been carrying all the members along and congratulated Hong constituency for having him as their representative and the speaker.
He commended Governor Fintiri for approving constituency allowances to them and also used the opportunity and advised the peace loving citizens not to participate in the planned protest.
Baring his mind, the Director General (DG), Poverty Alleviation and Wealth Creation Agency (PAWECA) who was represented by the Director Monitoring and Evaluation, Sani Abdulkadir, hailed the gesture as well as the legislators support to Fintiri led administration.
He told the gathering that the speaker chose to provide food items to his electorate to reduce hardship being experienced by the citizens, saying that the agency is very happy with the food intervention programme.
In his welcome address, the Executive Chairman Hong LGC. Hon. Usman Inuwa Wa’aganda, said that the gesture was not the beginning, and described him as a workaholic, dedicated and committed leader.
He commended him for what he has been doing for his electorate in terms of empowerment programmes and urged him to sustain the good works for the progress of Hong and Adamawa state in general.
Hon. Wa’aganda, thanked other lawmkers for supporting the Speaker as well as Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, and him success in his political career.
In their separate goodwill messages, the Chairman PDP and that of Youth Leader, Ibrahim Ndotti and Abdulhamid Ikhamu, assured him of their total support.