Senator Assures On Youth Empowerment

Senator Chris Anyanwu, representing Imo East, has assured that she would empower more youths in the state to make them financially independent.

Anyanwu told newsmen in Owerri that this was to prevent them from engaging in social ills that had bedevilled the society.

Our source said that the senator had already awarded bursary to 70 indigent students in different tertiary institutions put at N5.6 million.

The senator said that another 24 unemployed graduates from different local government areas in the state would benefit from various skills acquisition programmes estimated to cost N4.8 million.

Anyanwu said that the gesture was part of her empowerment programmes to add value and enhance the lives of the citizens.

She said that each undergraduate got N80, 000 as bursary award, while the unemployed youths got N200, 000 each to enable them to acquire skill of their choice.

Anyanwu urged the beneficiaries to use the money judiciously to better their lots.

“They are to make judicious use of this money and should not divert it to other wrong courses.

“With this, we will test their level of responsibility, accountability and ability to create wealth,” she said.

Anyanwu said that the inability of some youths to further their education or be gainfully employed had led to some of the social ills like kidnapping and other vices.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo, Mr Eze Duruiheoma, has distanced the party from the political crisis rocking the state.

Reacting to allegations that the presidency was plotting to unseat Governor Rochas Okorocha, Duruiheoma told newsmen in Owerri on Tuesday, that both the party and the presidency were not interested in the goings on in the state.

He said the PDP and the presidency had no interest in the investigation or impeachment of the governor.

The chairman said the allegations were false as the interest of the PDP was in the welfare of the people of the state.

He said the 12 PDP lawmakers summoned to Abuja had a duty to the party, adding that their duty included being answerable to the higher authorities in the party.

“I want us to know that PDP lawmakers have a duty to the party backing them and if that duty involves going to Abuja when their presence is required, so be it,” he said.

The chairman said the situation in the state should not be blamed on the PDP, describing it as self- inflicted.

The APGA Chairman in the state, Mr Marshall Anyanwu, had issued a statement alleging that the Presidency and the PDP plotted to unseat Okorocha and the speaker of the assembly.

Anyanwu further alleged that the presidency and some PDP bigwigs had invited the party’s 12 lawmakers in the state assembly to Abuja where they were told not to take part in the ongoing investigation of graft accusations against the deputy governor.

The APGA chairman had also accused the presidency and the PDP of trying to split the state legislature with a view to using the 12 PDP lawmakers to fight the governor and the speaker.