Don’t sell your starter-packs, Okowa warns 163 DESOPADEC skills academy graduands

Governor of Delta State and Deputy Vice Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, has warned graduands of the third batch of the Delta State Oil-Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) Skills Academy not to trade away their starter-packs.

Our correspondent reports that a total of 163 graduands, comprising 113 females and 50 males graduated from the academy and presented with a starter pack each worth N500,000.

The graduands went through a six-month skills acquisition training on hairdressing, makeover, fashion design, catering and confectionery, welding and fabrication, ICTs, PoP, and electrical installation and repairs.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony on Tuesday held at the PTI Conference Centre, Effurun, Delta State, Senator Okowa reiterated his administration’s commitment to human capital development to eradicate poverty in the state.

Okowa, who was represented by the Chief of Staff, Government House, Asaba, Mr Festus Ovie Agas, said since the civil service couldn’t absorb all graduates, the government had to evolve ways to engage its youths in profitable ventures.

Addressing the graduands, Okowa quipped: “DESOPADEC Skills Academy is exceptional. Graduands are well trained and cultured. I congratulate the management for sustaining the programme in the last three years.

“What you’ve gotten today is not common. You should be proud of the skills that you have acquired.

“On starter-packs, don’t sell them. It’s in your interest not to sell them. Use them to change the society.

“We must continue to monitor your progress after today.
DESOPADEC should have a monitoring and mentoring unit to assess the success and failure of the graduating students in future.”

Managing Director of DESOPADEC, Chief Bashorun Askia Ogieh, while addressing the graduands, said so far, since its inception in 2020, the academy has graduated 504 entrepreneurs, cutting across all ethnic nationalities in the state.

He said the job creation drive, which is in line with Okowa’s SMART Agenda of prosperity for all, was meant to mould youths in vocational skills which is the livewire of any society.

Ogieh urged them to take advantage of the training, take pride in their acquired skills and not be afraid or ashamed to start small, adding: “think big, think clearly and back it up with action. Go and conquer and succeed.”

Highlights were the presentation of cash prizes of N200,00 and N500,000 to the best graduand in each skill and the overall best graduand respectively.

Each of the 163 graduands, who strictly swore an oath not to sell their starter-packs, also went home with their comprehensive starter-pack sealed with their names and a cash gift of N200,000.

The overall best graduand, Mr Anthony Eregbo, who also came tops in his chosen skill, expressed gratitude to DESOPADEC and the governor for the opportunity to acquire the life-changing skill.