The Nation Newspaper

Tag: empowers

  • Lawmaker empowers youths, widows

    The lawmaker representing Somolu 1 constituency at the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Rotimi Olowo, has said that the best approach to solving the problem of the country is to focus on health, education and empowerment of people at the grassroots.

    Olowo stated this while answering reporters questions at an empowerment programme he organised for his constituents at Somolu last week.

    According to him, it is when you place focus on these three vital areas at the community level that the nation’s problems can be solved.

    “Whatever we do today if we are not talking about health, education and empowerment then we are not solving Nigeria’s problems. Our problems have to be solved at the level of our constituents, they must not be superficial,” Olowo said.

    The lawmaker graduated about 132 youths he had put through a year mandatory training in fashion designing, hair dressing and barbing and gave them sewing machines, hair dryers and clippers. He also gave 100 widows and aged N10,000 each “to support them”.

    School children were not left out of the empowerment package. Apart from providing buses to convey children within the constituency to and from school, the lawmaker also bought school uniforms, sandals and socks for 100 pupils from the five primary schools in the constituency made up of 10 boys and 10 girls from each school.

    Olowo also donated drugs worth about N300,000 to Somolu General Hospital for the use of the aged and minor while over 500 constituents benefited from a free dental care programme.

    Addressing the benefiaries, Olowo said he expects them to use the equipment to become great people, “make a lot of money and be able to employ more people so that the level of unemployment in Somolu will come down.

  • Group empowers women, lifts girls

    African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF), a Ghana-based non-governmental organisation, which provides grants to women and national organisations in some African countries, has visited its partners in Nigeria.

    The two-week visit, which began last week in Lagos, will also take the AWDF to Ilorin, Ibadan and Abuja.

    Having given grants to 123 Nigerian organisations and has since 2008, spent 1.2 million dollars to uplift women and children, it visited some of its beneficiaries and partners, notably: Women of Hope and Children Foundation, Society for Women and Aids in Nigeria (SWAN), Kudirat Institute for Democracy (KIND) and the Centre for Democracy (CEDAR).

    The visit by AWDF was part of a regular routine checks to monitor the work its partners have done as well as use the opportunity to learn more of the key issues in the country and know ways to better the lot of the partners.

    The team, led by Nana Sekiyamah and the organisation’s Anglophone Programme Officer, Rose Owaben, said monitoring its partners gives the organisation the opportunity of having personal interactions with beneficiaries in their communities and the impacts of the supports given them.

    Ms Sekiyamah told The Nation: “We are not there to replace the state as it has its own responsibility to maintain the citizens. We are only particular about advancing the rights of women. So, by complementing the effort of government, AWDF engages women to get involved in the policy making process so as not to be left behind.”

  • Ajimobi’s wife empowers 1,337 pupils

    Ajimobi’s wife empowers 1,337 pupils

    Wife of the Oyo State Governor, Mrs Florence Ajimobi has reaffirmed that the Educate a Rural Child (ERC) intervention train will criss-cross the length and breadth of the state with its gospel of educational rejuvenation to deprived children in the rural areas.

    She said this during the ERC Intervention programme where 1,337 pupils from 10 public primary schools in Oriire, Ogbomoso North, Ogbomoso-South, Surulere and Ogooluwa Local Government Areas were presented with two pairs of uniforms, a pair of sandals, school bag and exercise books worth about N5million free.

    Mrs Ajimobi said: “We are celebrating the return of hope to an otherwise hopeless situation. Most importantly, we are celebrating the sincerity of the administration of Governor Abiola Ajimobi as expressed in the gradual fulfilment of all promises made during his campaign and even upon assumption of office. The governor is a man who gives his word and stands by it.”

    Mrs Ajimobi said the project, rather than mere lip service, is borne out of her genuine passion.

    “From now on, our children will no longer attend school in tattered uniforms, walk bare-footed or wear inappropriate shoes to school; neither shall they carry their books to school on their heads, hands or polythene bags as adequate provision has been made for them.

    “This is just our own little way of showing that we will not only care for the people of Oyo State, but be responsive to their needs,” she added.

    Mrs Ajimobi enjoined parents to support ERC by making sure they release their children to attend classes. While appreciating friends of ERC for their support, she also praised the teachers for taking care of the children by moulding them into future leaders. Mrs Ajimobi charged the children to face their studies and strive to achieve excellence in their careers.

    She also promised to complete an on-going construction of blocks of classrooms embarked upon by Ikose community in Ogbomoso-South local government within one month.

    The Caretaker Chairmen in the five local governments and their wives praised ERC vision, which according to them, is giving hope and better future to the children in the rural areas.

     

  • Oyo lawmaker empowers constituents with N10m

    The member representing Ibadan North East II in the Oyo State House of Assembly, Mr. Alli Akinola Sikiru, has empowered about 350 traders and unemployed youths in his constituency with items worth over N10 million.

    The items include 20 sewing machines, seven motorcycles, 20 grinding machines, 15 hair dryers, 15 power generating sets, 13,000 exercise books and 2 KVA power generating sets, among others.

    Distributing the items at St. Annes Secondary School in Molete, Ibadan, Sikiru said his gesture was to alleviate the suffering of the less-privileged.

    The lawmaker said he had provided eight boreholes and built two blocks of three classrooms each and an headmaster’s office in the constituency.

    He assured the people of qualitative and responsive representation.

    Sikiru said: “This empowerment programme is expected to rub on every member of this constituency directly or indirectly. It is a delight that many past beneficiaries are now economically viable and are sustaining their families from the proceeds of the empowerment.”

    The beneficiaries thanked Sikiru and urged other politicians to emulate him.

    The Speaker, Mrs. Monsurat Sunmonu; Chief Bayo Oyero and some lawmakers were present at the event.

  • Foundation empowers 263 youths in Akwa Ibom

    A community based- organisation, Esit Eket Community Development Foundation, says it has empowered 263 youths on skill acquisition in Akwa Ibom State.

    Its Administration Officer, Mr Emmanuel Thompson, said the empowerment would enable the beneficiaries to stand on their own.

    He was presenting some items to the beneficiaries. The items included six sewing and weaving machines. “Currently, 47 trainees are undergoing training, 263 have completed their training and have set up their business centres,’’ he said.

    He said the beneficiaries were taught aluminum fabrication, catering and hotel management, Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) phone repairs, carpentry, pipeline welding, electrical installation, computer maintenance and fashion designing.

    Thompson said the programme was one of the five development intervention areas targeted at addressing unemployment and insufficient skilled manpower in the state.

    “It will increase self-reliance among the youth and also complement the ongoing efforts of the Akwa Ibom Government in creating job opportunities for its citizens,’’ he said.

    He said the foundation started the programme in 2010, adding that it had so far, enrolled 310 youths for training in various skills areas free.

    Thompson thanked Frontier Oil Limited and Pro Natural International Nigeria (PNI) for facilitating the foundation for the execution of development programmes in the host communities.

    The State Coordinator of PNI, Mr Justin Okwuofu, promised that the fondation would continue to assist the foundation to execute more development and empowerment projects.

    Okwuofu was represented by the Senior Programme Adviser, Mr Amarachi Okoroiwu.

    Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Emilia Johnson, expressed gratitude to the foundation for empowering youths in the area. She urged the organisation to sustain the programme to reduce youth’s restiveness in the society.

     

  • NGO empowers 876

    NGO empowers 876

    About 876 indigent students drawn from 23 states and 33 Schools of Health Technology in the country have been given scholarship and bursary award by IntraHealth International; a non-governmental organisation (NGO).

    Country Director of Intrahealth, Mr. Ngobua Samuel said the initiative was under its ‘Capacityplus Project,’ funded by the United States Aid for International Development (USAID), with a view to increasing the availability of health workers in Nigeria. This, he said, aims at meeting the health needs of under-served populations through sustainable human resources for health interventions.

    Mr. Samuel noted that the implementation of the project was targeted at both the federal and state levels through active engagement with a wide range of agencies.

    Represented by the organisation’s Finance and Administration Officer, Mr. Ayarah Amammun, Samuel explained that the project was uniquely focused on the health workforce needed to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

    He further said they gave out the scholarship and bursary in order to strengthen the human capacity of health workers.

    Mr. Samuel said: “A trained, motivated and accessible health workforce can provide access to vital health information, service and commodities.

    “The CapacityPlus, in a way, is directly concerned with addressing the World Health Organisation’s findings of a shortage of 4.3 million health workers world-wide and addressing the challenges of the 57 countries with critical shortage of health workers.’’

    Speaking on the award presentation, USAID representative, Mrs. Theresa Ononye, said that its objective was to ensure that the human capacity strength of the health systems in Nigeria was formidable ahead of the health challenges the workers were likely to experience.

    Some of the beneficiaries thanked the organisation, even as they said many of their problems have been solved through the intervention.

  • Rep empowers 500 with N40m

    The member representing Ekiti North Federal Constituency II in the House of Representatives, Mr. Robinson Ajiboye, has empowered 500 people across the 32 wards in his constituency with items and cash worth N40 million.

    The items include vehicles, motorcycles, grinding machines, electricity generating sets, hair dryers and barbing kits.

    Others are water dispensers, sewing machines and cash gifts.

    Distributing the items to the beneficiaries at the St. Peter’s Anglican Primary School in Otun-Ekiti, Ajiboye said empowerment of the people is what stands the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) out from other parties.

    The ACN chieftain said: “People’s empowerment, through improvements in infrastructure, financial grants and job creation is a core focus of ACN-led governments.

    “This is the age-long socialist/welfarist credo of the party, which was carried on from the Action Group (AG) days of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

    “The trend of deserting the people after winning elections at any level has ended for good in Ekiti. Like other representatives across the state, I have returned to fulfil my electioneering promises.

    “What I am doing today is not unique. I have been engaging the people meaningfully at various times before and after my emergence as your representative and many of my colleagues in the National Assembly have done the same.

    “While we are not praising ourselves, Ekiti has become distinguished and blessed with leaders, who listen, reason and genuinely care for the people.

    “This will continue for as long as I live. When you insisted on me representing you and voted me into the lower chambers, you knew what you were voting for. You chose hope and kept it glowing, despite the air of despair and despondency that was then palpable. I cannot be less grateful to you.

    “All we are doing for you is to complement the effort of the Governor Kayode Fayemi administration. The agenda of compassion, probity and accountability captured by Fayemi’s redeeming programmes has found relevance and acceptance with us.”

  • Corps member empowers youths, 50 widows

    A Corps member serving at the Federal Polytechnic, Oko (OKO POLY), Chinonye Ezinwoke, has donated items worth thousands of naira to over 50 widows and physically-challenged people in Oko community, Orumba North Local Government Area, Anambra State. The items included wheelchairs and textile materials to over 50 widows.

    Chinonye, who is observing the national service at the department of Management and Information Communication Technology (MICT), also trained 200 youths in the community on various skills.

    The beneficiaries, which comprised students of the polytechnic and Oko indigenes, were trained on the methods to make detergents, custard, snacks and pop corn. The widows smiled home with yards of wrappers.

    Chinonye said her decision to empower the youth and widows was based on her encounter with poverty. The graduate of Chemistry Education from Imo State University (IMSU), said skills taught the youth would help in reducing unemployment and crime in the society.

    Anambra State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Lady Henrietta Agbata, and her Education counterpart, Dr Uju Okeke, commended the Corps member for the gesture, which was achieved through her personal Community Development Service (CDS) projects.

    Present at the donation were the wife of Oko traditional ruler, Prof Lucy Ekwueme; President-General, Oko Peoples Union, Mr Ike Nwammuo; head of MICT Department, Mr Chidi Ezeh; state NYSC CDS Coordinator, Mr John Olugbade; Secretary, Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in Orumba North Local Government Area, Mr Ezeibe Kenechi and Deputy Rector of OKO POLY, Dr Don Muo. They praised the Corps member for the gesture.

     

  • Foundation empowers 700

    No fewer than 700 less-privileged Nigerians have been assisted to enjoy a new lease of life. They got various items from a faith-based charity organisation, Zakat and Sadaqat Foundation (ZSF) yesterday.

    United States’ Consul General, Lagos, Mr Jeffery Hawkins, one of the special guests on the occasion, praised the organisation for helping people to live a worthy life.

    Hawkins said: “No one knows the need of average Nigerians better than organization like this; that is why we would like to partner with them to reduce poverty in the society.”

    Apart from cheques, other empowerment materials worth N35 million given out to the beneficiaries in Lagos, included sewing machines, tri-cycles (Keke Marwa), grinding machines, wheel chairs, deep freezers, clutches, refrigerators and electricity generating set.

    Speaking further, Hawkins said the role of charitable organisations is germane to helping the government to empower the people.

    The Foundation’s Executive Director, Imam Abdullahi Shuaib explained: “The gesture is part of our contributions to creating an enabling environment, boost our economy to make it more productive, to provide qualitative and quantitative educational and medical supports for the teeming and rising youth population in the country.”

    Shuaib decried the poor living standard in the country with unemployment on the increase and thus gave room to unemployed youth to engage in reckless activities that is threatening the country’s collective destiny.

    “The challenges, he said, require all hands to be on deck now,” adding: “The Foundation’s aim is to give hope and raise the spirit of the less-privileged people and assure them that there is a place they can turn to for assistance when the need arises.”

    Shuaib added that the Foundation was out to help the rich to enrich the poor, to cater for and touch people’s lives and to benefit humanity in general.

    Speaking earlier, the Foundation’s Chairman, Prince Sulayman Olagunju said: “The occasion is an avenue to showcase the good work of our Foundation, render account of how Zakat funds are being disbursed, who the beneficiaries are and some of the challenges we face among others.”

    In his sermon, Director, World Assembly Muslim Youth (WAMY) Sheikh Shamy An-Nushi El-Shamy reminded that “it is un-Islamic for a Muslim to be comfortable while his neighbour wallows in abject poverty,” therefore challenging all Muslims to collaborate with the Foundation with a view to alleviating suffering of humanity.”

  • Council empowers residents with Indomie Buka

    Aguda Local Council Development Area has partnered with a foremost pastry producer, De United Foods Industry, makers of Indomie Noodles to empower its residents.

    The firm has donated 100 free Indomie branded kiosks as a way of paying back to the communities.

    Tagged: Indomie Buka, the event featured cooking and eating of the pastry.

    The ceremony was led by the council Chairman, Hon. Omobolanle Akinyemi-Obe. “This is interesting; our council chairman has showcased what it takes to be a good wife and mother. We are lucky to have her at the helms of affairs. Aside this, she is also a good cook. I envy her,” said one of the guests.

    Mrs Akinyemi-Obe thanked the De United Foods Industry for keying into her programme.

    She said:”This is a manifestation of corporate organisation’s trust in our empowerment drive. Reducing poverty is one of the major programmes of my administration, which must be tackled to alleviate the suffering of our people in Coker/Aguda. My administration has taken the bull by the horn by going an extra mile to procure Indomie Buka from De United Foods Industry. My administration has also taken up the responsibility of signage in order not to impede your operation,” she said.

    Akinyemi-Obe urged beneficiaries to be prudent with the economic gains from the venture and make the government proud.