Senator Ogba Partners PRODA On Vocational Training of Constituents

BY NWOGHA NDUBUISI ANDY, Abakaliki

In his effort to reduce unemployment to a minimal level mostly among the youths and married women,the senator representing Ebonyi Central at the National Assembly, Distinguished Senator Obinna Ogba, on Wednesday 24th November,2021 empowered one hundred of his constituents on vocational courses. The exercise which took place in Abakaliki was sponsored by the senator in collaboration with an establishment known as Projects Development Institute,PRODA. Speaking during the Flag off ceremony, Senator Ogba said that the training became imperative as to reduce youth restiveness which culminated to increase in insecurity associated with joblessness. The senator who was represented at the event by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr Godfrey Chikwere noted that the participants would be properly equipped as to enable them remain useful after the training. "The essence of the programme as the name sounds, skill acquisition is just to empower people, It is going to be a semi skills empowerment, ranging from fashion designing and tailoring. "We will also train the people on the production of these items detergent, bleach, liquid soap, air freshener, bead making among others to make them remain relevant in the labour market. "Those that fall under fashion designing will get industrial machines and the regular sowing machines too, those that are trained in household items will be empowered with chemicals, cash and every other required equipments. "The programme is wholely targeted to reduce joblessness in the society and it cut across all the component council areas of Ebonyi Central zone. "People were selected across board and most of them are indigent persons including those that have no job. That is the nature of selection" he said. When asked the selection process, he said "The targeted persons got text messages not from the office of the Senator but from PRODA and their resource persons are there too with the beneficiaries of whom are Youths, Women and indigents persons. "It will not just be training alone, If you give somebody sowing machine, the person will need money to buy other materials to start up, so, they will be financially packaged to back the skills which they acquired. " I am advising the participants to make good use of what they have because it will be a thing of shame that after this year's exercise will turn back for same training. "So, the organizers of this programme are very careful and that was why they selected women mainly and indigent persons especially the youths for fashion designing. "It is not political motivated, is just a way of curbing insecurity and empowering the youths. "What kills skill acquisition training is when you give people equipments alone without considering, if the person has a space to start with, like shop and other materials too. In their separate reactions, some of the participants among Igboke Angela and Okah Chidi Shedrack appreciated the National Assembly member for the regular empowerment programme. Mrs Igboke who was trained in fashion design revealed that her choice of area of interest was based on opportunity in the fashion business and prayed Almighty God to reward the senator in all his political ambitions. Our reporter observed some material available for disbursement among industrial sewing machines, bags of bags of chemical for household items production and hosts of other equipments.