..AS BATCH “A” NUMBERING 300 PERSONS RECEIVES START UP EQUIPMENTS
Chinedu Opara
Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, EVC/CEO of National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, NASENI, Mr Kalil Halilu has assured the people of Owerri Zone of many more dividends of democracy in the future.
Mr Halilu gave the assurance in Owerri, the Imo State capital, Wednesday, 3rd April, 2024, during the presentation of certificates and empowerment start up tools, to three hundred people recently trained in various skills by Distinguished Senator Ezenwa Onyewuchi.
He said the agency decided to build fruitful partnership with the lawmaker because of his perfect working relationship and support for the agency, as well as his burning passion for the welfare of his constituents, which led him to make many inputs in the agency that will benefit Owerri Zone.
Represented by the Director of Accounts and Finance Ibrahim Baba Dauda, the NASENI boss, stressed that the empowerment program was the starting point in the series of programs and projects coming to the area from the agency, and advised the beneficiaries not to be deceived into selling their tools, which he noted are the best in the market, but, rather to put them to good use, promising that the agency will monitor their progress, with the view to supporting those doing well.
The chairman of the occasion, Engr Prof Emenike Ejiogu, lauded Senator Onyewuchi for his vision to leverage skills training and empowerment to stimulate growth of Small and Medium scale Enterprises,SMEs, asserting that SMEs drive economies as they not only make up upto 80% of businesses, but also significantly contribute to GDP growth.
He urged the beneficiaries not to constitute clog in the wheel of progress being driven by Senator Onyewuchi,by selling the tools or not practicing what they learnt, pointing out that such ugly attitude may discourage the lawmaker from pushing on with the vision.
The sponsor of the skill acquisition and empowerment program and Senator representing Imo East Senatorial District, (Owerri Zone),Distinguished Sen Ezenwa Francis Onyewuchi, said the event is pursuant to his abiding vision and calling to make as many of his constituents as possible self reliant and serve God and humanity, with every sense of duty, purpose and sincerity.
He noted that he is not just going to empower them and go away, but will keep monitoring and supporting them to grow, pointing out that if they show genuine commitment to the enterprise they are starting, no employed worker will earn more than them.
Distinguished Senator Onyewuchi who said his Empowerment journey dates back to over twelve years, further stated that some of those he had trained previously are among the biggest SMEs in the state today, even as he reiterated his prayer for their success, adding that once they start growing becoming employers of labour will be the next stage of their growth.
Hon Innocent Eke, Director General of the lawmaker’s campaign outfit People’s Movement, described the occasion as key milestone in the long history of his principal’s human capital development strides, and lauded the uncommon dedication shown by the trainees, and urged them to work towards becoming self reliant.
Some of the spokespeople for the benefitting groups, Chief Stella Orji, Vice Principal Federal Government Girls College Owerri, who spoke for benefitting schools, and Emeka Nwokocha for ICT, described the empowerment as the first of its kind in Imo State and gave firm commitment that the benefitting schools,teachers and other trainees will use the empowerment tools to add value to themselves and the society.
The trainees numbering three hundred were trained in Solar installation and maintenance, Woodwork Contemporary Welding, ICT and Modern Methods of Teaching Science and Technology.
While tools distributed to them starting from benefitting Schools and Teachers were brand new projector, lenovo laptop, Samsung tablet, chat board, smart board, whiteboard and graph board. Trainees in ICT went home with Lenovo laptop; while trainees in solar Installation and Maintenance went home with electrical tools box.Woodwork got circular saw, hand saw, jig saw, plane, filing machine, iron clamp, tape, square, smoothner
and those in Welding went home with try squares, electric cutters and file ,welding machines, electrode handles , clamp and vice, helmets and ear gears.