By Terdue Atondu, Makurdi
Senator Titus Tartenger Zam, representing Benue North-West Senatorial District, has distributed 600 items to constituents across seven local government areas of Benue State as part of his sixth mega empowerment programme aimed at promoting entrepreneurship, self-reliance and economic growth.
The empowerment exercise, held on Friday, covered Gboko, Buruku, Tarka, Makurdi, Gwer West, Gwer East and Guma local government areas.
The items distributed included 180 motorcycles, 320 sewing machines, 60 power hand tillers and 40 car-wash pumping machines.
Speaking at the event, Senator Zam, who chairs the Senate Committee on the North Central Development Commission (NCDC), described the programme as “A Renewed Commitment to Empowerment, Opportunity and Shared Prosperity; His Covenant with the People of Benue North-West Senatorial District.”
He said the initiative was a practical demonstration of his commitment to improving the economic well-being of his constituents through access to tools that would enable them to establish businesses, generate income and achieve financial independence.
According to him, the items distributed were not merely equipment but instruments of enterprise, sources of livelihood and opportunities for economic empowerment.
“My expectation is that the beneficiaries will put the items to productive use, create value where possible and extend opportunities to others,” he said.
Zam explained that the latest intervention was the sixth major empowerment programme since he assumed office, building on previous initiatives in leatherwork, small-scale businesses, grinding and hairdressing, as well as agricultural projects involving pepper cultivation and dry-season rice farming.
He added that his previous interventions included the distribution of motorcycles, motor vehicles and computers to improve learning and create economic opportunities in communities across the senatorial district.
The senator further disclosed that his commitment to human capital development had extended to the provision of scholarships to 350 indigent students in tertiary institutions, stressing that education remained one of the most sustainable investments any society could make in its future.
He also highlighted his interventions in food distribution during festive periods, provision of food and relief materials to internally displaced persons, and annual fertiliser distribution to support farmers.
On infrastructure, Zam said his constituency projects had covered the construction of classroom blocks, clinics, examination halls, police stations, streets and roads, alongside the provision of motorised boreholes, electricity extensions, transformers and solar-powered streetlights.
He noted that the projects were designed to address critical needs in education, agriculture, healthcare, water and sanitation, and security.
The lawmaker said his legislative interventions aligned with the broader economic reform agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which he described as an effort to address longstanding structural challenges and establish a foundation for sustainable socioeconomic development.
Zam, on behalf of the people of Benue North-West, commended President Tinubu for establishing the North Central Development Commission, describing it as an important vehicle for bringing development closer to communities across the region.
He said the empowerment programme demonstrated the potential benefits of the commission’s interventions for residents of the North Central region.
The senator also expressed appreciation to Senate President Godswill Akpabio for appointing him as the pioneer chairman of the Senate Committee on NCDC.
He equally acknowledged the support and guidance of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, whom he described as a significant influence on his political journey and service in the Senate.
NCDC Sponsors Empowerment Programme
Earlier, the Chairman of the Central Planning Committee, retired Superintendent of Police A. Akwaya, said the distributed items represented more than material possessions, describing them as tools for enterprise, self-reliance and sustainable livelihoods.
He noted that the items had the potential to support businesses, create employment, improve household incomes and contribute to the economic development of communities across Benue North-West.
Akwaya expressed appreciation to the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the North Central Development Commission, Barrister Cosmas Akighir, PhD, and the commission’s management team for sponsoring the empowerment programme.
He also commended members of the central planning committee, supporting organisations and other stakeholders whose contributions helped make the exercise possible.
In his remarks, the Benue State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Austin Aondona Agada, described Zam as a committed representative who had made the party and the senatorial district proud.
Agada expressed confidence in Zam’s bid for a second term in the Senate, attributing his position to the senator’s relationship with party leaders, stakeholders and constituents.
He, however, criticised Governor Hyacinth Alia over what he described as a lack of respect for President Tinubu and the APC leadership, particularly concerning the issue of automatic tickets for party members seeking re-election.
The APC chairman warned that the disagreement could have political consequences ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“We will show the incumbent governor pepper come 2027,” Agada declared.
Stakeholders Back Zam’s Second-Term Bid
In separate remarks, the Chairman of the Empowerment Committee, Barrister Emmanuel Jime; the committee’s chairlady, Hon. Mrs Joyce Tarka; and the guest speaker, Rt. Hon. John Dyegh, commended Zam’s representation and called on constituents to support his second-term ambition.
They cited his legislative activities and constituency interventions, urging the people of Benue North-West to sustain their engagement with the senator to attract more development projects and democratic dividends to the district.
The speakers also described Zam as a humble leader who respected elders and maintained communication with his constituents on matters affecting their welfare and development.
Earlier, the Chairman of the North Central Development Commission, Barrister Cosmas Akighir, commended Zam for what he described as people-centred representation and efforts to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities across his constituency.
Akighir said the commission would continue to support development initiatives in Benue North-West, assuring residents of its commitment to promoting development across the district.
He attributed the establishment and operations of the commission to the leadership of President Tinubu, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
