By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
The member of the House of Representatives, representing Calabar Municipality/Odukpani federal constituency at the National Assembly, Rt Hon Eta Mbora, yesterday in Calabar flagged off his empowerment scheme where thousands of youths were beneficiaries.
The special empowerment initiative was targeted at promoting entrepreneurship, self reliant, job creation, as well as boosting agricultural yields to tackle the problem of food insecurity that has afflicted many with hunger and starvation.
The member of the lower chamber of the National Assembly, who just handed over a motorized borehole which he constructed at the Ernest Etim Bassey Press Centre, Calabar, to the leadership of the Cross River State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, stated that the empowerment programme he carried out would provide succour to his constituents whereby poverty would be drastically reduced.
Answering questions from journalists during the flagg-off ceremony in Calabar yesterday, the federal lawmaker averred that the scheme is based on beneficiaries’ peculiar needs, comprising of entertainer, physically challenged artisans, welders and farmer’s corporative societies, so that they can become self reliant.
Mbora commended the zeal and commitment exhibited by the welders during their training, and charged beneficiaries to emulate the enterprising disposition to enable them become self reliant rather than roam the streets of the state in search of white collar jobs.
Mbora said, “Our vocational skills aquisition is free. We only demand dedication, commitment and seriousness from the trainees. Once you graduate, your start off pack and rent for shop is available.
“I want our youths to emulate our brother, Ita Ekpenyong. Despite his challenge, he enlisted to learn welding and was zealous and passionate about the programme. Apart from the start off pack I had to add a motorized wheelchair to aid his mobility. He is a great example.”
In her remarks, the Woman Leader of the state Propels Democratic Party, PDP, Hon Mrs Florence Inyang, thanked Mbora for bringing the empowerment scheme to the constituency, adding that the intervention would definitely check unemployment rate in the state.
The Woman Leader promised to mobilize women from the constituency who lacked jobs to embrace the vocational training programme initiated by Mbora.
She said that with the programme, a high percentage of them can become self reliant rather than looking for who to lean on.
Reacting, a former councillor in the legislative arm of Odukpani Local Government Area, Hon Ani Ekpenyong, averred that he sees the scheme as a milestone that can put an end to capital flight, produce middle level manpower and encourage agri-businesses.
One of the beneficiaries, who spoke with our correspondent on the empowerment scheme, John Edem, lauded Mbora for the kind gesture, adding that with the generators and several other hair salon equipment given to her via the empowerment scheme, she is sure of reviving the hair salon business that was almost dead due to lack of capital.
Items given to benefiaries include 1,200 bags of fertilizers, with over 400 cartons of herbicides, motorized wheel chairs, welding equipment with diesel powered generators, and over 20 sets of 9kva Fireman petrol generators.
