The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Ogun State, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, has splashed ₦100 million on the Ogun State chapter of the National Automobile Technicians Association (NATA), urging the leadership to immediately channel part of the funds toward establishing a cooperative scheme for its members.
Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, disclosed this during an interactive session with state and zonal executives of NATA in Abeokuta, the capital.
He further pledged that his administration would scale up funding for the proposed cooperative to ₦250 million if elected governor, alongside implementing targeted economic interventions for automobile technicians across the state.
Adeola, who donned an auto technician’s workshop uniform for the event, attended the strategic engagement alongside his running mate, Alhaja Kudirat Adegunwa-Balogun, the Director-General of the APC Campaign Council, and other party leaders, PerSecondNews reports.
Responding to the requests, Adeola advised NATA leadership to prioritize setting up the cooperative framework with a portion of the initial ₦100 million donation to ensure members gain immediate access to low-interest, affordable credit for business expansion and emergency financial needs, while allocating the remaining funds to other urgent pressing needs.
He further pledged that, if elected, his administration would inject additional ₦250 million into the NATA Cooperative Society and progressively increase the fund as the scheme grows.
Adeola also announced the provision of 1,000 solar lights for mechanic villages across Ogun State, pledged a brand-new bus for the association, and promised the establishment of additional mechanic villages in areas where they are currently unavailable, while improving basic amenities in existing ones.
He further pledged a minimum of five slots for Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca and five slots for Christian pilgrimage to Jerusalem annually for members of the association if elected governor.
The senator thanked the NATA leadership for the engagement and acknowledged its declared support, saying the interventions were intended to build a sustainable relationship with members of the association and strengthen their economic opportunities.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Ogun State NATA Chairman, Alhaji Adeleke Balogun, noted that the association boasts over 67,000 registered members across the state’s 20 local government areas.
He presented a list of priority demands to the candidate, including vocational empowerment programs, operational vehicles, pilgrimage slots, dedicated healthcare facilities, and the development and modern equipment of designated mechanic villages.
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