The Delta State Micro Credit Programme (DMCP) is set to begin the second phase of loan disbursement to Delta State citizens, as part of the state governor’s agenda.

Previously, the programme has empowered 51, 391 persons under 4, 722 cluster groups. About 32, 499 women and 18, 892 people have benefitted from the micro credit programme, claimed Anthonia Ashedu, the executive assistant to the Delta State governor on micro credit.

Addressing participants in Warri, at a re-sensitisation and re-capacity building programme on the DMCP, Ms. Ashiedu said the exercise was necessary to encourage Deltans to take full advantage of Governor Uduaghan efforts to better their lives.

Ms. Ashiedu said the loans disbursement was not meant for party members, but for all Deltans, irrespective of their political affiliations. She warned the people not to be deceived into parting with money for any staff of DMCP, as she has received such complaints from some groups.

No to ‘godfathers’ She maintained that the programme’s success was hinged on the fact that she and her staff have refused to yield to pressure from political godfathers, including groups within the states who are bent on truncating the programme by posing as genuine cluster groups in order to collect money meant for redeeming the poor and jobless in the society.

"The programme has three attributes: empowerment of the grassroots population, creating new wealth at the level, and reducing unemployment in the productive age bracket. It targets the rural and urban poor, unemployed poor, particularly school leavers, economically disadvantaged persons, the physically challenged, and HIV infected persons who are discriminated against because of their status", she said.

Ms. Ashiedu said the programme has helped in curbing youth restiveness in the once volatile Ekpan in Uvwie local government area of the state, but the DMCP also assist clients in the proper packaging of their products, registration of products with regulatory agencies, and the marketing and distribution of products within and outside Delta State.

"It has also helped the culture of micro financing, which has rejuvenated Deltans through the activities of 28 microfinance bank partners, which are really community based banks," she added.