The African Action Congress (AAC), Delta State Chapter, has criticised the Delta State Government’s reported ₦5 billion grassroots empowerment programme, arguing that the initiative would provide only temporary relief rather than create sustainable jobs and lasting economic opportunities for residents.
The party called on Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration to reconsider its approach to grassroots empowerment, insisting that greater attention should be given to sustainable job creation, business development, industrialisation and policies capable of improving the standard of living of residents across the state.
The AAC made its position known in a press statement signed by its Delta State Chairman, Comrade Prince Maxwell Ogor, in which it acknowledged the importance of government interventions to support vulnerable citizens and small-scale business owners but maintained that such initiatives must go beyond temporary financial assistance.
The reported ₦5 billion programme is expected to target 100,000 small-scale business owners and other beneficiaries across Delta State’s 500 wards, with each beneficiary expected to receive ₦50,000.
However, the opposition party questioned the long-term economic impact of the proposed assistance, particularly amid unemployment, economic hardship and the difficulties many families face in meeting their basic needs.
“Delta State cannot continue on this path while graduates are crying out for jobs, young people are struggling to survive, and many families are finding it increasingly difficult to meet their basic needs,” the party said.
AAC argued that Delta State, as an oil-producing state with significant human and natural resources, has the potential to achieve greater socioeconomic development if its resources are channelled into productive investments, industrial growth and employment generation.
The party questioned the lasting impact of the proposed financial assistance on struggling graduates and aspiring entrepreneurs, arguing that the intervention might offer temporary relief but would be insufficient on its own to establish sustainable businesses or create meaningful employment for others.
It therefore challenged the Oborevwori administration to adopt a more strategic approach to grassroots empowerment by prioritising initiatives that would enable residents to build sustainable livelihoods and become economically independent.
As an alternative, the party proposed that the same ₦5 billion could be structured into a targeted enterprise development programme for 1,000 business-minded young entrepreneurs, with each receiving up to ₦5 million in business capital.
According to AAC, the proposed arrangement would retain the same overall budget while providing selected entrepreneurs with greater financial capacity to establish or expand businesses, employ other young people, develop local industries and contribute to the state’s economic growth.
The party stressed that such a programme should be supported by transparent selection criteria, business training, mentorship, effective monitoring and accountability mechanisms to ensure that public funds deliver measurable benefits.
It maintained that its position was not a rejection of government assistance to vulnerable citizens but a call for empowerment programmes that produce sustainable economic outcomes.
“AAC Delta State is not opposed to helping vulnerable citizens. Rather, we insist that empowerment must be designed to move people from dependency to productivity, from unemployment to meaningful work, and from poverty to economic independence,” the statement read.
The party outlined five key areas it believes the state government should prioritise to achieve sustainable development.
It called for policies capable of generating employment for graduates, skilled workers and other unemployed youths, alongside accessible business financing schemes that would enable young entrepreneurs to start, operate and expand viable businesses.
AAC also urged the government to invest in industrialisation through improved electricity supply, infrastructure, local manufacturing, agriculture, technology and other productive sectors capable of generating employment.
On transparency, the party demanded clear eligibility criteria, publicly defined beneficiary-selection procedures and accountability measures for empowerment programmes funded with public resources.
It further called for equitable economic opportunities across all 500 wards in Delta State, insisting that grassroots development should extend beyond cash distributions to include skills acquisition, business support, infrastructure and access to markets.
The party argued that young people need opportunities to build sustainable livelihoods rather than interventions that provide only short-term financial assistance.
“Our youths do not merely want to survive; they want the opportunity to thrive. Our graduates want jobs. Our entrepreneurs want capital. Our communities want development. Our families want a better standard of living,” the statement added.
AAC maintained that Delta State possesses the resources and human potential required to achieve meaningful economic transformation but argued that the government must adopt a development strategy that converts those advantages into lasting opportunities for residents.
The party consequently called on the Oborevwori administration to review its empowerment strategy and place greater emphasis on productive investment, enterprise development, industrialisation and sustainable job creation.
It stressed that Delta State needs a development model capable of helping young people create wealth, enabling businesses to grow, supporting industrial expansion and ensuring that communities experience tangible improvements in their living conditions.
The statement concluded with the party’s slogans: “AAC TAKE IT BACK!” and “ACTION, NO GOING BACK!”
The statement was signed by Comrade Prince Maxwell Ogor, State Chairman of the African Action Congress, Delta State Chapter.