By Raymond Ozoji, Awka
The transition committee chairman of Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State Hon. Chimezie Obi has revealed how he used skill acquisition programmes to address insecurity in the council area.
Obi who made the revelations while speaking exclusively to HEADLINE NEWS on Friday, said he was able to resuscitate as well as revive an abandoned skill acquisition centre at Ihembosi neglected by past administrations.
Obi explained that the facility which used to be abandoned and forgotten has metamorphosed into a veritable platform to take youths off the streets and engage them with economic skills for self-employment thereby curbing insecurity in the area with job and wealth creation for youngsters.
Obi noted that following the enrollment of youths in the skill acquisition empowerment scheme, Ekwusigo Local Government Area is currently one of the most secured and safest council areas in the state as a result of his administration's resolve to invest in human infrastructure.
He said that rather than take to crime, youths in Ekwusigo are now being trained on artificial intelligence and cyber security, tailoring, POP making and installation and other skills, emphasizing that the skill acquisition programme is driven by Public-Private-Community-Partnership model already yielding positive results.
According to him, most of his salaries and earnings have been invested in the youth development scheme just to ensure that youths are given a sense of belonging and inclusion in the scheme of things.
He said most youths who take to crime, lacked mentorship and direction but the council authority has taken it upon itself to reorientate as well as redirect the minds of the youths to more dignifying profitable ventures through skill acquisition.
The Ekwusigo council chairman also disclosed that the council authority has invested a lot in agriculture, noting that no other local government area in the state can surpass Ekwusigo in agricultural investments.
Although he stated that his achievements would speak volumes of his commitment to serve Ekwusigo people, he was equally of the opinion that if reelected in the forthcoming Local Government Elections, he would do more for the council area.
Obi therefore maintained that public office was not an opportunity for personal aggrandizement but an opportunity to serve God through uplifting humanity and investing in human capital development as panacea to peaceful and stable society.
Obi however expressed profound gratitude to Sir Emeka Ofor, the majority leader of the Anambra State House of Assembly and member representing Ekwusigo State Constituency Hon. Ikenna Ofodeme, HRM Dr. Ebuka Onunkwo CEO Sea Horse Petroleum, High Chief Tony Unigwe and some other stakeholders in Ekwusigo, who were very instrumental to the rehabilitation and reinvigoration of the abandoned skill acquisition centre at Ihembosi.
That with the help of public-spirited individuals in the council area, he was able to invest some of his salaries in the renovation of the skill acquisition centre which he said now houses many Ekwusigo youths learning and mastering different skills for self-empowerment purposes.
Obi stressed that the insecurity of the present day was due to negligence of the past because he aptly believes that the youths not properly trained today with hands-on skills would become nuisance tomorrow and unleash terror and mayhem on the society.
Obi stated that he plans to expand the skill acquisition programme if reelected into office because his vision is to export Ekwusigo youths to the rest of the world from the skill acquisition centre at Ihembosi in the council area.
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