Senator Akobundu trains/ empower over 150 Abia Central Youths on painting, technology and Cosmetology.

By Ibe ibe On Oct 21, 2024

Senator Akobundu trains/ Empowers over ù. 150 Abia Central Youths on painting, technology and Cosmetology

By: Sam Obinna Ibe
Umuahia.

The Senator representing Abia Central Senatorial District at the Senate ,Senator Austin Akobundu has said that for the Nigerian economic to join the league of advanced economies of the world, the youth must embrace skills that would make them move from job seekers to employers of labour.

The Senator who spoke at the weekend (Saturday) when he handed over certificates and cash gifts to over 150 Abia Central youths after their 5-day training/empowerment programme on Paint-making technology and Cosmetology, in Umuahia, explained that today’s Nigeria requires men and women who are not only properly skilled, but are ready to use their skills to create wealth and employ others.

According to the retired military officer turned Politician,“Some of you are educated up to university level, that’s fine; but the most important thing is for you to acquire a skill that would create for you and by extension the country, that’s the essence of this 5-day training/empowerment workshop’, he told the graduands of the training held at the Kolping Society of Nigeria conference, in Umuahia, Abia State capital.

The training/empowerment programme which he sponsored in collaboration with the Centre for Management Development, Abuja, it will be recalled, is the 9th in his empowerment /training series since becoming Senator of the Federal Republic in less than one year.

Blueprint in Umuahia observed that the youths and other participants at the training were drilled on various methods of Paint production and its applications, even as participants in Cosmetology department were lectured on better ways to manufacture various types of cosmetics and how to supply them to the consumer.

Abia youths participants during training/ empowerment workshop sponsored by Senator Representing Abia Central Senatorial District at the Senate, Senator Austin Akobundu .

The Senator stated that he sponsored the workshop because skill acquisition has actually been one of the projects he has repeatedly emphasized on, adding that he wanted Abia Central youths and indeed all Abians to become self reliant in all fields of human endeavours.

He recalled that during his campaign, he repeatedly said he will go beyond offering youths and women perishable items and gifts, but would train and empower them to stand on their own and even train and empower others, saying that this has become a pledge he has vigorously pursued.

Senator Akobundu thanked the organizers of the programme, noting that it is in tandem with his campaign manifestos which was to equip Abia youths with 21st century skills targeted at creating self reliance and quelling the harsh economic impact posed on them.

Senator therefore tasked the participants/graduands not to abandon the skills they acquired at the training, assuring them of his readiness to assist those of them that make judicious use of the programme.

“It’s my passion to ensure that youths in this district, Abia Central Senatorial district, to stand on their own as employers of labour rather than job seekers through various skill acquisition programmes.

So far I have sponsored nine empowerment/skill acquisition projects less than one year as Senator of the Federal republic of Nigeria. Don’t forget that I was sworn in as Senator on November 15, 2023 after a rigorous court exercise”, he declared.

In his speech at the event, the Senior Legislative Aide (SLA) to the Senator, Hon Stanley Nwabuisi noted that a plan to develop clusters for business collaborations for the trainees was presently ongoing, stressing that the federal lawmaker has developed a programme to monitor the post training activities of the participants to ensure that they abandon what they have been thought.

In their vote of thanks, the participants/graduands through one of them, Mr Ndubuisi Ugwunna thanked the Senator for offering them the opportunity to be self reliant and promised to take the empowerment as a life changing one and also commercial venture.

Amongst the dignitaries that attended the event was an Assistant Director at the Centre for Management Development, Abuja, Barr Shan Essien and some of the aides to the Distinguished Senator.