Ten youths drawn from the ten wards of Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State have concluded a seven-week training programme on high demand information technology skills sponsored by Eleme Union Europe, an association of Eleme people living in European countries.
The programme was tagged, “Enterprise Skills Acquisition Programme for Eleme Youths.”
At the closing ceremony held at Eleme Civic Centre, the President of Eleme Union Europe, Dr. Walter Ngegwe, who joined via Zoom, said the training, which was the first of a series in its plan to empower youths at home was a giveback programme by members of the Union.
He appealed to chiefs and leaders of the area to support the programme by encouraging the youths to take full advantage of the training and improve their lives.
Dr. Ngegwe particularly appealed to the local government chairman, Chief Obarilomate Ollor, to provide tools like starter packs to the graduands, saying that if meaningfully engaged, youths would not be distracted by crime and other antisocial activities.
The Coordinator of the programme, Mr. Ngochindo Bode, said the participants were trained in digital marketing, content development and software development.
“This is what we want to do for Eleme people: to train at least 2,000 people in the next two years,” Ngochindo said, disclosing that they have a programme of linking trained youths with companies both at home and abroad for whom they can work and earn good pay.
“The good news is that you need to travel to Lagos to work. You don’t need to travel Port Harcourt and work. You can stay in Eleme and and work as far as you have a God internet, a laptop and a working environment where you will not be distracted,” he added.
Also speaking the Oneh-Eh Nchia and Paramount Ruler of Ogale, HRH Godwin Bebe Okpabi, thanked Eleme Union Europe for choosing to empower youths in the community with skills and knowledge that will help them develo themselves.
He appealed to the beneficiaries to take good advantage of the training and better their lives. He promised to contact the local government and other stakeholders to see what can be done to get starter packs for the trainees.
The President General of O-E’la Obor Eleme (Eleme General Assembly), Chief Israel Abbey, thanked members of EUE for helping Eleme youths to acquire knowledge that they can use to empower themselves. “Today, you have given something to our youths. And to our youths, we urge you to make make this empowerment have a multiplier effect.”
The Chairman of the occasion, Rev Canon Abraham Olungwe, praised EUE for the initiative. “It is not easy to leave your businesses and work to support other people.
It we all had this mindset at home, things would not be as bad as they are today,” Abraham said, and urged the beneficiaries not to disappoint.
One of the beneficiaries, Mr. Godwin Chu, who spoke on behalf of others, thanked Eleme Union Europe and promised that they would not disappoint.
He however appealed that the beneficiaries be given starter packs to enable them utilise the knowledge and skills they had acquired.
Members of Eleme Union Europe joined the ceremony from their respective bases in Europe. The other beneficiaries are Robert Oluka, Johnson Saloka, Obo Hamilton, Emmanuel Awah (Digital marketing and software development), Esther Dandison, Emmanuel Gomba, Godwin Okereke, Comfort Ogosu, Obarijima Okpa and Abigail Gomba (Advance Digital Marketing).
