Extend Hands of Fellowship to Youths, Disabled in Ebonyi, Hon. Onyia Tells Politicians

From Nabob Ogbonna, Abakaliki

The Ebonyi State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Hon. Chidiebere Onyia, yesterday charged politicians, including those occupying elective positions in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), to extend hands of fellowship to unemployed youths, the less privileged, and the 162 graduates trained in various skills acquisition programmes by the Neighborhood Environment Watch (NEW) Foundation.
“All shouldn’t be placed in the hands of the state governor, Francis Nwifuru, to execute,” he stressed.
Hon. Onyia made the call during the formal handover of certificates to over 160 graduates trained by the Neighborhood Environment Watch (NEW) Foundation in partnership with Africa Forward under the Skills Acquisition Uplift Programme, held in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, on Thursday.
The commissioner, who commended the Executive Director of the organisation, Dr. Kelechukwu Okezie, for his superlative initiative, described the programme as a life-changing opportunity for self-employment and entrepreneurship.
According to him, “You people know too well that what we politicians like doing most is gathering you when we need your votes and giving you peanuts.
“And if you re-examine our actions, it doesn’t translate to good missions in our various communities.
“You are coming from different LGAs, and there is no one of these LGAs that doesn’t have an LG chairman, commissioner, SSA, SA, elected State House of Assembly member, House of Representatives member, or senator.
“And virtually all these politicians have, in their various capacities, rolled out empowerment programmes, and I know that none of you here was captured or enlisted.
“And if you go deep to investigate those lists, what you will see will be the relations of commissioners, SSAs, SAs, House of Representatives members, senators, and who is who in Ebonyi.
“Therefore, to balance this equation, I’m challenging us, as leaders, to help these graduates. For myself, I will encourage those from my community with the sum of N200,000 each.
“Also, I’m charging the Executive Director of NEW not to relent in his good works aimed at training our youths to become self-employed through skills acquisition. He should also help us by profiling these graduates local government by local government.
“It is not everything we will push to the governor. We must learn how to step down the policies of Governor Nwifuru’s-led government to the grassroots,” he stated.
Speaking earlier, Dr. Okezie said the graduates were trained in eight high-demand skills, including baking and pastries, cosmetology, fashion and design, barbing, beauty salon services, digital literacy, and mushroom farming.
He added that the programme was targeted at tackling youth unemployment and strengthening community resilience.
Okezie further noted that the Foundation, in partnership with Africa Forward, plans to take the programme to the five states in the South-East geopolitical zone.
“The Skill to Scale programme under the Africa Forward Uplift Programme is expected to run for two years in four cohorts, combining hands-on practical sessions with mentorship and business development support.
“For many of the beneficiaries, it represents a renewed sense of hope and a chance to build a more secure future,” he explained.
Insideoutnews learnt that the training, which lasted for a period of three months and was supported by Africa Forward, has gained the support of the state government.
This followed the earlier remarks by the Director-General of the Ebonyi State Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (EB-SMEDAN), Dr. Stephen Odoh, who, during the flag-off of the training, described the programme not only as a turning point for youths in the state that could shape their futures, but also as a genuine opportunity for the state to empower the participants after the successful completion of the programme to become entrepreneurs and employers of labour.