In a bid to give back to his constituents who voted him in 2015, the member representing Lokoja 1 in Kogi State House of Assembly, Rt. Honourable Ahmed Imam Alfa has inducted 62 young men and women who benefited from his skills acquisition and empowerment program.
Imam is the Speaker, Kogi State House of Assembly.
According to Imam, the skills acquisition program, which was part of his intervention programmes, is aimed at changing the concept of politics. The programme is under Imam’s youth and women empowerment scheme set up to eradicate poverty, promote human capacity and development.
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At the graduation and induction ceremony of the beneficiaries, sewing machines, hair dryers and its accessories, tiller and aluminum equipment and printing machines were handed over to graduands
Rt. Honourable Umar Ahmed Imam, while expressing optimism that his efforts will help upgrade the lives of his constituents with opportunities and entrepreneurship, promised to work very hard to support the growth and development of the youths and women who are industrious in the state.
“This mandate makes it possible for me and you here to commission 62 young men and women with starter packs having undertaken apprenticeship with their respective masters in their choice of vocations. In the same vein, I am pleased, also, to introduce additional 100 youths selected from every polling unit within my constituency to their choice of occupation for which they are to be trained”, he said.
The speaker added that, he has a vision and mission in politics to serves his people selflessly, have the capacity to give increasingly with an overwhelming desire to produce men and women of integrity, independence, and capacity to generate wealth and pay taxes to the state, and cater for themselves, their family members, and by extension, transforming the society.
Not only on youth empowerment the speaker intend to use in changing the fortunes of his constituency, he also used the forum to re-echo his drive for sports, entertainment, and creative development vowing to ensure that these sector of the economy growing to a higher height.
He highlighted some of his achievements in the last 15 months.
“My activities in the last 15 months have justified my promise. We have inaugurated two (2) locally produced films, sponsored several sporting activities. It was on record that I promised never to encourage people indulging in indolence and the tendency to beg for money. I looked forward to ensuring this promise given the moral condemnation and religious teaching against such common practice. I have in the alternative supported individuals with employment opportunities and vocational skills”.
Other achievements listed include the rehabilitation of a pedestrian bridge along Hassan Otokiti close, New-Layout, Sabon Gari community, Water reticulation at Otokiti-Barrack area, installation of hand pump borehole at Shabayagi, construction of erosion control culvert at Kududufi, Yashi street, opening of access road to Karaworo up Hill, renovation of well water at Rimi unit among others.
Lending his voice to this laudable efforts of the number three citizen of Kogi State, the chairman of the occasion who is also the Deputy Speaker kogi State House of Assembly, Honorable Aliyu Akuh admonished all beneficiaries to look behind what is given to them and translates it for the development of the society.
Goodwill messages were delivered by the state chairman Nigeria Union of journalists, NUJ, Chairman Comrade Ali Atabor, Chief Administrator of Lokoja local government, Hon. Shiru Lawal, Special Adviser to the Kogi State Governor on Youth, Sports and Student Affairs, Comrade M.D. Eseyin, traditional rulers, civil society organizations.
Rt Honourable Alfa Imam Skills Acquisition and Empowerment program (RHAISAEP) was flagged off on 17th September, 2015 with fifty (50) Trainees on different skills namely, aluminum work 5, Tiller work 8, Leather work 2, Tailoring work 20, Fashion design 6, Motor Mechanic work 1, Generator Mechanic work 1, Welder work 1, Computer operator (ICT) 2, Hair dressing work 2, Printer work 1 and Plumber 1 while Twelve (12) artisans were also beneficiaries of different working tools.
Credit: Olatunde Odimayo