Frontline Politician and Philanthropist from Ntu Ngor Okpala local government Imo State, Mr Joel Okere has bagged the Potters Wheel prestigious award for Humanitarian Youth and Women empowerment. The ceremony took place at Umuokoro Eziama Ngor Okpala Imo State weekend where more than eighty youths and women trainees who passed through Skills Entrepreneurship were given certificates of participation. Performing the award ceremony, President of the Potters Wheel Foundation, Pastor Godsown Odilichukwu Onuzulike commended the Imo State Coordinator, Pastor Nathaniel Azuonwu for positioning the State as the first in the new year to actualize the vision of the Enugu State based organization. Pastor Onuzulike said the foundation trains citizens in over sixty vocational skills covering cake baking, pasteries and confectioneries, hygienic and allied skin care products and beverages. He expressed satisfaction that the trainees who came from the thirty autonomous communities in Ngor Okpala and beyond showed great enthusiasm throughout the period of the training and came out richly equipped. He thanked the award recipient Mr Okere who is also the Labour Party Candidate for Ngor Okpala State Constituency in the Imo State House of Assembly, for investing in human capital development and encouraged him to keep the tab. In his acceptance speech, the awardee, Mr Okere, represented by Mr I.C Edeji thanked the Foundation for finding him worthy to be bestowed the honour and promised not only to empower the participants but also to sponsor the training programme annually. Earlier in his remark, the Chairman of the occasion, Chief Hon Victor Nwosu who also represented the President General of Umuokoro Eziama, Mr Charles Oguibe expressed immense gratitude to the Potters Wheel Foundation for putting up the programme saying that entrepreneurship was in vogue throughout the world. He promised to empower Umuokoro indigenes among the trainees as directed by the President General. Other socio cultural organizations like the Izu Ezema and Ngor Okpala Peoples Assembly assured the Potters Wheel of their support and cooperations at all times. Highpoint of the occasion was the exhibition of various products produced by the trainees like cake, custard powder confectioneries, soap, detergent, shampoo, perfume, detol, body cream and lotions among many others. Personalities who graced the occasion included the Chairman of Umuokoro Ruling Council, Elder George Nwaiwu, Hon Salem Ejereonyeoku, Deacon Andrew Aganugwa, Rev Dr Michaels Arinze, Mrs Charity Emmanuel, the Trainees representative and Mr Chima Ukachukwu.
