The member representing Isoko South 2 Constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly, Honourable (Chief) Ferguson Onwo, has presented take off grants to the 38 constituents he sponsored for skill acquisition in Agriculture at Bioresourses Development Centre, Odi, Bayelsa State.
Onwo, at the ceremony which also featured presentation of Certificates to each of the 38 trained persons, said the gesture was part of his empowerment programs for youths across Isoko South 2 Constituency, under the auspices of Okpobrisi Sustainable Development Scheme.
In attendance, at the ceremony held in Olomoro, Isoko South, were Honorables Austin Uroye, Emmanuel Sinebe and Kenneth Ogba of the State House of Assembly, as well as the PDP Chairman, Delta South, Chief Jullius Takeme.
Others include the Commissioners for Oil and Gas, Emmanuel Amgbadugba, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Julius Egbedi, his Youth Development counterpart, Mr Ifeanyi Egwuyenga and the Bishop of Oleh Diocese of Anglican Communion, Right Reverend John Aruakpor.
The Lawmaker disclosed that the 38 youths were carefully selected for the intensive skill acquisition programme on equal representation from all the wards in the constituency and were trained in snail farming, fishery, grass-cutter farming, macro propagation of banana and plantain as well as mushroom production.
Flanked by his wife, Anthonia, Onwo said the presentation of starter packs and certificates was the highlight of the programme and expressed happiness over the successful completion of stream A of the youth empowerment scheme.
The Legislator, who is the Chairman, House Committee on Housing and Women Affairs, stated that his focus was to reduce reliance on government jobs and create employment for the teeming youths in the constituency, in line with the policy direction of the Okowa administration.
The Isoko South 2 representative expressed satisfaction with the level of commitments and performance by the youths during the training and charged them to put the knowledge acquired to good use.
The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Chief Julius Egbedi commended Ferguson Onwo for the training program, stressing that the Ministry was willing to partner with government officials who would want to empower their constituents through agriculture.
Chief Egbedi urged Deltans to key into the agricultural programmes of the Okowa administration and the various agricultural programmes of the Central Bank of Nigeria, pointing out that the state government had procured twenty tractors to support farmers.
Also speaking the State Commissioner for Youth Development, Mr Ifeanyi Egwuyenga, said Onwo had redefined empowerment by taking it to a sustainable level, adding that it was in line with the STEP and YAGEP programmes of the state government.
For his part, the Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, Delta South Senatorial District, Chief Julius Takeme, who lauded the Lawmaker, said he had given the youths permanent empowerment and urged the people to sustain their support for the state government and the party.
Some officials of Bioresources Development Centre, Odi, Bayelsa State including the Head of Administration, Mrs Ada Anulobi and Head Bio- Entrepreneurship Training, Mr Tawov Hezekiah, said the training of the youths at the Centre was a wise decision and promised to provide technical support and markets for their products.
Some of the beneficiaries who spoke, including a physical challenged graduate, Mr Esume Emmanuel, thanked the Lawmaker for the empowerment programme, saying it was the first of its kind in the area.
The highlight of the event was the presentation of cheques amounting to ten million naira to the facilitators who were empowered to set up farms for each of the trained youths.
Presentation of certificates to the beneficiaries was by dignitaries present, including the member representing Isoko South One, Honourable Kenneth Ogba, who gave the physical challenged beneficiary, Esume Emmanuel, two hundred thousand naira for participating in the program.
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