Delta Lawmaker Dumps ‘Okada’ Empowerment, Makes 38 Constituents Employers of Labour

The Member Representing Isoko South Two 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.

Hon Onwo who stated this during the presentation of certificates to thirty eight youths-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 popularly known as ‘Okada’ 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 a knowledgeable based empowerment through trainings in order to give the trainees a platform to become employers of labour.

Hon. Ferguson Onwo

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, grass cutter husbandry, macro propagation of banana and plantain and mushroom production.

Flanked by his wife, Anthonia, the Isoko South 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 has 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 wants to empower their constituents through agriculture.

Beneficiaries of Okpobrisi Sustainable Development Scheme by Hon Ferguson Onwo

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..

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

Beneficiaries of Okpobrisi Sustainable Development Scheme by Hon Ferguson Onwo

Some officials of Bioresources 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 physical 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 ten million naira to the facilitators who were empowered to set up the farms for each of the trainees.

Presentation of certificates to the beneficiaries were performed by dignitaries present, where the member representing Isoko South one in the State House of Assembly, Hon Kenneth Ogba, gave the physical challenged trainee, Esume Emmanuel two hundred thousand naira for participating in the program.

The event was witnessed by a cross section of the society including, Honorables 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.