LGA boss, SA to Abia governor empower youths, women in Abia community

The chairman of Abia State Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), who is also the chairman of Obingwa local government area of the state, Honourable Ibe Michael Nwoke, has empowered youths and women in a community in the local government.

The empowerment programme tagged ‘Free summer skill training hub for Obingwa teens and youth’, was executed in partnership with the office of the Special Adviser to Abia State governor on Teens Matters.

The LGA boss stressed that empowerment was necessary because there was a serious need to engage students and teenagers during the long vacation/summer break.

He stated that children, teenagers, and even women participated in the programme, and they were trained in dress-making, hair-dressing, graphics designs, tie and dye, liquid soap making/air fresheners/detergent making, and baking and cooking.

The Special Adviser to Abia governor on Teens Matters, Chinemenma Umeseaka noted that It is one thing to complain about how the younger generations are getting into crime, but do nothing to channel their energy into productive ventures.

“Honourable Nwoke organised these skill training and empowerment programmes so that parents will be rest assured that their children won’t get into trouble and our society will be sanitized,” Umeseaka said. “We gave seed money to few participants in the baking class, and the Chairman will soon be giving seed capitals to the best in each class.”

At some point, she lamented that when people hear empowerment, what comes to their minds is monetary compensation or items.

“For me, real empowerment is when people are taught how to fish with their talents and skills, and they are encouraged to expand with what they are being taught,” she said. “When they learn to use their baking, dressing-making, graphics skills, etcetera, they will gradually hone their skills and attract wealth.”

On how the empowerment would help the beneficiaries in the long run, Honourable Nwoke noted that it will help almost all the participants, especially the women, to be more independent. He further noted that the rural women that participated are mostly farmers and that with the skills they have learned, they can earn more money for themselves and for their families.

Umeseaka stated that she has been organising this kind of empowerment programme in Lagos State since 2016, before she got the appointment as SA to the governor, and moved the training to Abia State, where it is now being sponsored by the state government.

“So, this year, I decided to meet the Chairman of Obingwa LGA, who has the interest of his people at heart and is eager to liberate them from poverty,” she said.

“The outcome was overwhelming because the participants really appreciated it.”

Umeseaka thanked the Obingwa chairman for his support and enjoined him to continue his work in empowering his people.

Finally, she stated that the empowerment programme will hopefully continue beyond her appointment as SA to the governor because she did not start the programme when she got into public service.

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