SUPA: Dafinone urges ITF to extend screening date for Delta Central applicants

The Senator Representing Delta Central Senatorial District, Senator Ede Dafinone has enjoined the authority of the Industrial Training Fund, ITF, the agency responsible for conducting the Skill-Up Artisans Empower Scheme by the Federal Government to extend the screened for the applicants in Delta Central to enable them to apply and be screened.

Senator Dafinone who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Olorogun Barr. Adelabu Bodjor, stated this when he paid a visit to the Industrial Training Fund Warri office, while reacting to calls from youths from Delta Central that ITF has deprived them of being screened as they choose not to site a screening centre in Delta Central.

Senator Dafinone who frowned at the development said, the Federal Government through President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda targeted creating gainful employment for 10 million teeming youths through its empowerment program tagged “Skill-Up Artisans (SUPA).

He said the programme is designed to empower people with various skills through tech-enabled skills training, licensing, access to essential toolkits, and promoting industry standards on produced products.

The federal lawmaker wondered why ITF would technically deprive the people of Delta Central of this laudable programme by not creating a screening centre in Delta Central, instead, they cited two in Delta South senatorial district against the norms that each senatorial district should have one centre.

According to him, “We are inundated with calls over attempts by the authority of ITF to deprive the people of Delta Central from participating in the ongoing screening of applicants for the federal government training program.

“We are aware that screening was to be done at every senatorial district, that of Delta North is in Asaba, for Delta South is at Ozoro and to our chagrin the one for Delta Central was taken to Warri, again in Delta South, leaving Delta Central completely out.

“However, after we met with the General Manager of the Industry Training Fund, ITF, Warri Office, Mr Otuene Ebirien, he assured us that they would extend the date to enable the people of Delta Central to be screened,” adding that they thought Warri is in Delta central.

Senator Dafinone urged artisans in his constituency to take advantage of the extension to go online apply and be screened.

He also urged the authority of ITF to remedy this error and ensure that the next batch of screening would be held in Ughelli North local government area, in Delta Central.