MEMBERS of the Delta State House of Assembly yesterday approved a supplementary budget of N8 billion as requested by Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, making it two supplementary budgets approved by the House after the approval of the main budget.

Barely four months ago, precisely on the 14th of August this year, the state assembly similarly passed a supplementary budget of N60.5 billion. The governor had requested for N53.7 billion but in passing it the House increased it by N6.8 billion above the N53.7 billion proposed by the state governor.

The governor in his letter read on the floor of the House yesterday said that N5.2 billion was being requested for special areas while N3 billion is for the State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC).

Meanwhile, sources close to the Assembly said that the governor will today present the state's 2009 appropriation bill before the House. Delta empowers 2,283 AT least 2,283 persons were yesterday empowered by the Delta State Government under the State Micro Credit Programme, DMCP, with a promise to eradicate poverty from all parts of the state.

Speaking at Koko, Warri North Local Government and Ekpan, Uvwie Local Government Areas of the State where the indigent persons were empowered under 211 cluster groups, the Executive Assistant to the State Governor on Micro Credit, Dr. Antonia Ashiedu said the State Government was determined to take Deltans above poverty level.

Ashiedu frowned at a situation where their women in particular engaged in menial jobs in order to make both ends meet and charged the women to take advantage of the programme to better their lots.

While reiterating that Deltans do not need to belong to the PDP before they could benefit from the programme, she said the programme was put in place by the Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan's administration to tackle the problem of poverty in the State.

Earlier in her address, the Managing Director of Coastline Micro Finance Bank, Mrs Reginal Atsiagbe said the Bank has been partnering with the State Government in her pursuit to alleviate poverty in the State since the programme was flagged off at Koko last year.

One of the Directors of United Micro Finance Bank, Chief P. N Ikogho who spoke at Ekpan during the presentation of certificates to the beneficiaries commended the State Government for putting the programme in place.