More Rivers Youths To Benefit From Skills Programme, Banigo Assures

A total of 4,000 youths drawn from Akuku-Toru, Asari-Toru and Degema local government areas of Rivers State have successfully completed a 5-week Intensive Skills Acquisition Training and Empowerment Programme initiated and funded by the Rivers State Deputy Governor, Dr. Ipalibo Harry Banigo.
Speaking during the closing formalities at the Degema Stadium, the deputy governor, who expressed delight with the enthusiasm displayed by the beneficiaries, disclosed that this was just the beginning of many more empowerment programmes to come to the area and many other local government areas across the state.
“I am very pleased with you, before now it used to be said that you don’t want to work. Now, you have shown the world and the world is watching that, that narrative is not true”, Banigo stressed.
According to Banigo, the State Chief Executive, Chief Nyesom Wike has a passion to give Rivers people the best at every given opportunity, noting that he was desirous to see that the youths were enabled and empowered to take over the mantle of leadership at the opportune time for them.
“I know that in the various areas, he has done infrastructural development like the building of roads, bridges, jetties, land reclamation, shore protection and the harmonization of taxes. These are all measures to provide an enabling environment, and so, I know that with what the world is seeing today, there will be a drive for more investors to come into Rivers State”, Banigo further stressed.
She expressed gratitude to Rev Stephen Akinola and the chairmen of the three local government areas for collaborating with her to put together the programme and for ensuring that it was supported with very good spiritual backing.
“We have had that you had over a thousand souls that were converted to Christ. I want to tell you that the greatest thing in life is to receive salvation, and I thank God that the skills acquisition programme has been wrapped around the spiritual growth of our people, and I want to specially thank Rev. Akinola for decreeing and declaring blessings upon the participants, the land and the people, so that this seed that has been sown will surely germinate”, she said.
The deputy governor, who informed the beneficiaries that the skills they have acquired would give them a source of livelihood, said the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Bank of Industry (BoI) and the Rivers State Microfinance Agency (RIMA) have indicated interest to support them.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the occasion, Dr. Emi Membere-Otaji said there was unemployment in the land and a lot of poverty in the county, noting that “we have to change and become entrepreneurs to survive”.
Membere-Otaji said the world and the economy have changed, stressing that soon, the crude oil the people of the country have been worshipping would not be needed again.
He commended the deputy governor for her bold initiative to organize the skills acquisition programme, noting that beneficiaries could turn out to become billionaires in the nearest future, if they take advantage of the opportunity.