Gabriel Zock, a federal lawmaker representing Kachia/Kagarko federal Constituency of Kaduna State has presented a grant of N37 million to 500 women in the constituency to help them start up petty businesses.
He also donated N11 million as financial support to Muslims and Christian religious leaders in the constituency to encourage them to continue to promote peaceful coexistence and prayers for the nation.
The benefitting women who include widows, were selected from the 22 wards that make up the federal constituency.
Each of the women got N30,000 while those who submitted outstanding business proposals were given between N300,000 to N500,000 each.
Speaking at the presentation of the grants on Monday in Sabon Sarki community, Kachia LGA, Zock urged the women to use the money to establish small businesses to support their families.
He said those who run successful businesses will continue to benefit from more grants as time goes on.
“I am empowering the religious leaders in this month of Ramadan for the Muslims and also the season of lent for the Christians.
“I deemed it fit to show my own support to the religious leaders and urged them to sacrifice their time and pray for the country so we can have peace”, he said.
Speaking in an interview with journalists shortly after presenting the grants, Zock said the money is to enable the women start up small businesses.
He: “With this they can start up menial businesses and also help their children in school.
“We know that women are the foundation of the house and having a small business will help them go a long way.
“So we are trying to encourage women to stand up and learn how to do business so that we can have a business minded generation”.
The lawmaker also decried the security challenges facing the country and called on Nigerians to pray fervently for God’s intervention.
He said, “Everybody is facing the same problem in the country. Nigeria is in a time when we so much need God.
“We have to bring God into this country because as a Christian I believe in the Bible passage that says if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and turn from their wicked ways and cry unto me, I will hear from heaven and I will heal their land. “Maybe we have done things wrong in some other ways in Nigeria. So we need to bring God back in Nigeria .
“My advice to Mr. President is for him to organize a religious and traditional summit to call the traditional and religious leaders together with the security Chiefs and understand the need for us to give this problem back to God. “Once God handle this challenges, I believe Nigeria will be better.
“I just got another Security report that 87 people were abducted yesterday in Kajuru.
“We are the representative of the government. Nigerians are suffering. We need to bring back God because I feel we have lost God.”
