By Chuks Eke
No fewer that 50’youths from Ogbaru federal Constituency of Anambra state were at the weekend empowered by the member representing Ogbaru federal constituency of Anambra state,Hon. Afam Ogene.
Their empowerment came shortly after an intensive training he organised for them in information and communication technology, ICT.
Part of materials distributed to each of them under the empowerment scheme included cash and laptops.
The ICT training, which took place at Ruchem Hotel, Iyiowa-Odekpe, Ogbaru Local Government Area, marked the fourth phase of the lawmaker’s human capital development programme over the past five months.
Previous phases included training in solar energy technology, clean cooking, and fishery.
According to the lawmaker, the cash gift distracted to them was to enable them deepen their ICT knowledge and contribute meaningfully to the socio-economic ecosystem.
Participants in the previous phases were also given starter packs and cash support to pursue their aspirations in their various fields of training.
Many of the elated beneficiaries praised Hon. Ogene’s commitment to youth and human capital development in the Constituency.
According to Miss Franklin Okoli, Udoka Enebeli, Jennifer Ijeoma, Amuche Okolonkwo and Chidinma Anyaoha, the lawmaker’s consistency in facilitating these life changing training programmes is a testament to his intentionality in changing the narrative in Ogbaru.
Okolonkwo: “I’m very grateful and happy with the kind of representation that Hon. Afam Ogene is providing for us in Ogbaru. I have read about the previous training programmes and was very pleased to have been nominated to be part of this ICT programme. I was totally speechless when we were empowered with laptops and money. It has always been my dream to own a laptop, so I’m in cloud nine now with this coming to reality. May God bless our Rep member.”
Hon. Ogene represented by his Chief of Staff, COS, Mr Chinedu Uwolloh had earlier stated that the training and empowerment programme was part of his economic development strategy in Ogbaru Federal Constituency.
Ogene who is also the chairman, House of Representative Committee on Renewable Energy, as well as leader of Labour Party Caucus in the National Assembly, expressed gratitude to his friend, High Chief Mac-Chris Ndubuisi, Ikenga Umuawulu, for his support for Ogbaru Federal Constituency.
Hon. Ogene: “Our aim is not just to give our people fish, but to also teach them how to fish. We will continue to facilitate skills acquisition and entrepreneurship opportunities for our people that will help them thrive in life”.
“Apart from university education, which we also support with access and opportunities for our people, we also thought it wise to incorporate some economic enhancing soft skills in addition to useful skills in evolving technologies which we started last year with the training in solar energy for our youths”.
“We will continue to do our best in this regard in addition to some physical projects – some of which are already ongoing – which we have facilitated for the good and development of our people,” Hon. Ogene disclosed.
Chairman of the Labour Party, LP in Ogbaru local government, Chief Emeka Nwosu praised Ogene for justifying the ticket given to him by the party on trust during the last national assembly election and urged him not to relent in his good work.
Nwosu stated that the lawmaker had shown unprecedented commitment towards empowering the people of the constituency, citing that he had earlier trained and equipped some of the constituents in fishery, sola energy installation, awarded scholarships to over 300 undergraduates, sponsored career training for students in about 50 secondary schools, installed street lightening in many communities, among others.
The trainer from Creedtec Engineering Ltd, Mr.Chiedozie Akwila urged the beneficiaries to ensure that they made use of the training, and the laptops to improve their respective well being telling them that if they make appropriate use of the training and equipment their socio-economic wellbeing would improve.
