Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha has reiterated his commitment to youth and women empowerment saying that it was the only strategy to stem the tempo of unemployment and promote economic self reliance in Imo State and Nigeria in general.
Ihedioha, who made the statement at a workshop on “Empowerment
of Imo Women and Youths Skill Acquisition Training and Equipping of
Trainees programme for women and youths in the Orlu and Okigwe senatorial zones organized by the Office of the Deputy Speaker in collaboration with the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) argued that if youths and women folk become economically independent, they would in turn become progressive and more patriotic in the task of nation-building.
The Empowerment programme he said would herald the training of 86 women and youth in Orlu , 31 in Okigwe and 380 in Owerri even as he pledged to supply the trainees with relevant tools and funds to enable them to maximize the opportunity.
Represented by his Special Adviser on Special Duties,Chief Ernest Ibejiako, Chief Ihedioha expressed concern at the growing level of graduate unemployment in the country and reminded the trainees, majority of who
are university graduates and they could feed themselves by being committed,
devoted and diligent to their lofty life careers.
He promised to set up a monitoring team that would occasionally
visit the workshops of the trainees to ascertain their level of seriousness to
the programme. Declaring the workshop open on behalf of the Director General of the NDE, the Imo state coordinator of the NDE Engr. Jaja E. Isichei
stressed the need for Hard work, punctuality and seriousness to duty by the
beneficiaries, assuring that by this, they would not only become self employed
but also employers of labour.
The NDE Coordinator assured that the Directorate would provide specialized training for the trainees to enable to excel within 3-6 months.
Chairman of the occasion for Orlu Zone and one time Vice Chancellor of the Imo state university, Professor Thomas Ndubuizu speaking, commended Chief
Ihedioha for exemplary qualitative representation of his constituency and enjoined all elected public office holders and those in positions of trust and
responsibility to emulate his shining example. Professor Ndubuizu reminded the trainees that the programme was borne by the altruistic desire to assist and support them to succeed in life and advised them to borrow a leaf from some successful men in society today who merely started from the scratch.
Similarly, the Chairman for Okigwe Zonal Flag off and one time Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Chief Maxwell Duru, thanked the Deputy Speaker for being a positive change agent who God has used to remedy the alarming poverty and unemployment rate in Imo State while urging the participants to ensure diligence and proper use of the opportunity to empower themselves and take responsibility.
Jones Onyereri, representing Nkwerre, Nwangele, Isu and Njaba Federal Constituency, speaking through his aide-Chief Ethelbert Ukonu similarly hailed the Deputy Speaker for setting the ball rolling in youths and women empowerment, nothing that this had brought succour and relief to most families, even as the representative of the Orlu Zonal Solidarity Forum, Mr. Dominic Mgbe enjoined the trainees to reciprocate the gesture by always standing solidly behind the Deputy Speaker in all his worthy endeavours.
The training programme for Owerri zone will be flagged off on the 30th of November, 2012 at the Conference Hall of the Federal Secretariat, along Port Harcourt Rd, Owerri.
It will be recalled that Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha about two months ago facilitated the training and empowernment of 700 Imo Women and Youths farmers in Agro based Production in collaboration with National Root Crops Research Institute Umudike, Umuahia
