Towards taking the youths out of crime, a lawmaker from Kogi state has empowered his constituents with business starter parks as SALIHU OYIBO reports.
Worried by youth unemployment in Kogi Central Senatorial district especifically in Okene/Ogori-Magongo federal constituency, the lawmaker representing the constituency Hon Yusuf Ahmed Tijani Damisa had done a lot to the people of the constituency since 2011 when his constituents found him worthy to represent them at the national assembly.
Damisa on his third tenure at the National Assembly had trained and empowered thousands of people both within and outside his constituency.
The lawmaker, for instance, trained youth and women in rice, snail, poultry, fishery, soya beans, benny seed farming as part of his constituency projects to create jobs and improve the livelihood of the electorate that gave him the mandate three consecutive time.
One of such empowerment was a two-day training organised for 30 youth and women in poultry value chain to stimulate development of poultry production in Kogi Central Senatorial district.
The training has equipped the participants the modern techniques in poultry farming as many of the beneficiaries attested to the fact that in the past, they could not make headways in the businesses because of unsurmountable challenges that pushed them out of farming.
At the training in Okene, the headquarters of Okene local government area of Kogi state recently by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in conjunction with National Veterinary Research Institute Vom and anchored by Synergy Impact Consultants Limited as part of effort to alleviate hardship confronting women and youth in rural areas of the federal constituency.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the two days capacity building on poultry production value chain for youth and women of Ageva Onyoto community and its environs, Mr Owoyale Yusuf who represented Synergy Impact Consultants limited, said the participants were trained to enable them stimulate development of poultry production along agricultural value chain in the federal constituency.
“We believe that with this training, if it is well utilized, it would definitely go a long way to make the beneficiaries ambassadors in poultry production in Kogi state.
“Through this training, the participants would have positive multiplying effect on the people because there would be off-takers, marketers, retailers who would buy and sell the business.” he said.
While cautioning the beneficiaries against selling their starter packs, Yusuf urged them not to see the training as ordinary, noting that the best form of empowerment is education which has been given to them.
“We expect you to make use of the training so that you can replicate that to some of the youth and women who were not opportuned to be part of this training.
He commended the lawmaker for putting smile on the faces of the participants whom he said had lost hope.
In his remarks, Hon Damisa who was represented by one of his aides Hon Abdulsalam Kunaiye said the training and empowerment is one of the numerous programmes the lawmaker has provided for the people since he became member of house of Representative in 2011.
According to him, the participants were selected on the basis of passion they have for poultry farming, assuring that they would not sell the packs rather use it for the purpose it was meant for.
“In the past, we trained beneficiaries of empowerment and give them starter packs; regrettably, we discovered that some of them do sell the items, but now we select the participants based on the passion and interest they have for the farming.
“The purpose of the training is to engage the participants on meaningful project that would eventually take them out of poverty.
He charged the beneficiaries not to handle with levity the life-time opportunity already created for them and urged them to cooperate with one another so that they can gain from the project, assuring that the lawmaker is ready to assist whenever there is any challenge hindering their operations.
He further disclosed that the sum of N10,000 was given to each of the beneficiaries including a starter packs that contains a bag of animal feed, 100 piece of a day chicks, drugs, feeder and drinker.
Kunaiye also revealed that 30 women traders from the community were given the sum of #10,000 each to boost their petty trading.
Speaking on behalf of traditional rulers, HRH Victor Aliyu commended Hon Damisa for the concern through his unaccountable numbers of empowerment programmes.
Fatimah Lawal one of the participants who spoke on behalf of others said that the road to success has been created for them; therefore appealed to others not to disappoint him by not showing commitment in the business.
She noted that in the last two years, she has been struggling to invest in poultry farming but all to no avail due to her poor financial status, but promised that she would feast on the opportunity to realise her dreams.
