By Kennedy Atevure,

The Member Representing Isoko South Constituency 11 in the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon (Chief) Ferguson Onwo says his choice for knowledge-based empowerment programs for youths in the Constituency was geared towards making them, economic giants.

 

Onwo stated this during the presentation of certificates to 38 youth trainees and cheques to facilitators of the program after their training in different agricultural areas at the Bio-resources Development Centre, Odi, Bayelsa State under his Okpobrisi Sustainable Development Scheme, said buying Motorcycles for youths is now a thing of the past.

 

The lawmaker at the ceremony held at Olomoro, Isoko South, said during his electioneering campaign he made promises to touch the lives of the people positively by empowering youths and women as well as attracting development projects to the constituency.

 

Hon Onwo said he decided to move beyond empowering youths with motorcycles and other items that can be sold to knowledgeable based empowerment through training in order to give the trainees a platform to become employers of labour.

 

He noted that the thirty eights youths were trained at the Bio-resources Development Centre, Odi in Bayelsa State in the areas of snail farming, fishery, grasscutter husbandry, macro propagation of banana and plantain and mushroom production.

Flanked by his wife, Anthonia, the Legislator who is the Chairman, House Committee on Housing and Women Affairs said the trainees were being empowered with all they required to start their own farms without giving them the physical cash.

 

He told the people that funds for the establishment of the farms and provision of suckers, fishes, snail among others have been given to the facilitators and the Bio-resources Development Centre, adding that the trainees would be closely monitored.

 

Hon Onwo congratulated the graduating trainees and expressed satisfaction with their level of commitments and performance, even as he charged them to put to good use knowledge acquired in the course of the training.

 

The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Chief Julius Egbedi commended Hon Ferguson Onwo for the training program, stressing that the Ministry was willing to partner with elected and political appointees who want to empower their constituents through agriculture.

 

Chief Egbedi urged Deltans to key into the agricultural programmes of the Okowa’s administration and the various agricultural programmes of the Central Bank of Nigeria, noting that the state government has procured twenty tractors to support farmers.

 

Also speaking the State Commissioner for Youth Development Mr Ifeanyi Egwuyenga said Hon Ferguson Onwo has redefined empowerment by taking it to a sustainable level adding that it was in line with the STEP and YAGEP programs of the state government.

 

On his part, the Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, Delta South Senatorial District, and Chief Julius Takeme who lauded Hon Ferguson Onwo said he has given the youth permanent empowerment and urged the people to continue their support for the state government and the party.

 

Some officials of Bio-resources Development Centre, Odi, Bayelsa State including the Head of Administration, Mrs Ada Anulobi and Head Bio- Entrepreneurship Training, Mr Tawov Hezekiah said the training of the youths in the Centre was a wise choice and promised to provide technical support and markets for their products.

 

Some of the beneficiaries who spoke including a physically challenged graduate, Mr Esume Emmanuel thanked the lawmaker for the empowerment program, saying it was first of its kind in the area and promised not to disappoint him.

 

The highlight of the event was the presentation of different cheques amounting to N10,000 to the facilitators who were empowered to set up the farms for each of the trainees.

 

Presentation of certificates to the beneficiaries was performed by dignitaries present, where the member representing Isoko South one in the  State House of Assembly, Hon Kenneth Ogba, gave the physically challenged trainee, Esume Emmanuel N200,000 for participating in the program.

 

The event was witnessed by a cross-section of the society including, Hon. Austin Uroye and Emmanuel Sinebe of the State House of Assembly, the Commissioner for Oil and Gas, Prince Emmanuel Amgbadugba and the Bishop of Oleh Diocese of Anglican Communion, Rt Rev John Aruakpor among others.