A special empowerment Initiative targeted at promoting enterprise, self reliance, job creation as well as boosting agricultural yields has been flagged off for selected beneficiaries from Calabar Municipality/Odukpani Federal Constituency NEGROIDHAVEN can report.
Speaking during the flagged off ceremony, the federal lawmaker representing the area in the House of Representatives Rt Hon Ntufam Eta Mbora revealed that the scheme is based on the peculiar needs from the beneficiaries comprising an entertainer, physically challenged artisans, welders and farmer’s corporative societies.
He applauded the zeal and commitment demonstrated by the welders during their training programme and urged other youths to emulate such enterprising disposition in order become self reliance rather than waiting for white collar jobs.
According to him ‘our vocational skills aquisition is free. We only demand dedication, commitment and seriousness from the trainees. Once you graduate your start off pack and rent for shop is available.
“I want our youths to emulate our brother Ita Ekpenyong. Despite his challenge,he enlisted to learn welding and was zealous and passionate about the programme. Apart from the start off pack I had to add a motorized well chair to him to aid his mobility. He is a great example’.
Speaking at the event, the State Women Leader of the People’s Democratic Party in Cross River State Hon Mrs Florence Inyang lauded Ntufam Mbora for the intervention noting that the gesture would check unemployment and assist farmers.
Hon Mrs Inyang promised to mobilize unemployed females to embrace the vocational training programme to become employers given non availability of job openings in government circles.
Speaking earlier, a former Counsellor in Odukpani Legislative Council Hon Ani Ekpenyong described the scheme as a milestone which will curtail capital flight, produce middle level manpower and encourage farmers.
In his reaction, one of the beneficiaries, Ita Ekpenyong who was accompanied by his parents commended Ntufam Eta Mbora for the humane gesture and for assisting to realize his dreams.
Similarly another beneficiary, Mr Evans Okon of Exxon Musical Band expressed gratitude to the federal lawmaker for coming to his assistance with a 9 KVA generator stressing the timely response will go a long way in promoting his entertainment business revealing that he has lost numerous deals once potential clients discovered he lack a generator to power his system at events venue.
Items distributed include a total of 1200 bags of fertilizers and assorted chemicals, motorized well chars, complete sets of welding equipment with diesel powered generators and over 20 sets of 9kva Fireman petrol generators.
