Local Government Chairman Empowers Residents

By Oluwatope Lawanson

The Executive Chairman, Ojodu Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Mr David Odunmbaku, said he empowered the residents with different skill acquisition programmes to create wealth and reduce poverty.

Odunmbaku made this known to journalists during the empowerment programmes at the council’s secretariat in Lagos on Friday.

The chairman said he was committed to the actualization of his HEYS (Health, Education, Youth and Women’s Empowerment and Social Infrastructure) Agenda.

He said the council partnered with SPEED-UP LAGOS, an initiative of the Lagos State Government to empower citizens through vocational training and skill acquisition.

“This is a two-week programme which commenced on Monday to expose participants to intensive training on fabrics/souvenir production.

“Others are catering and food technology, make-up and gele, cosmetics production, home essentials, fish farming, mechanical engineering, and electronics,” he said.

Odunmbaku urged residents to utilize the training opportunity and all the potential to gain financial and economic independence amidst the teaming challenges in the country.

He promised that more empowerment programmes were in stock as the exercise was not a one-off but a continuous one.

The chairman added that participants would be duly certified in their various chosen fields after being tutored by seasoned professionals and instructors.

While recounting her experience at the training centre in Shogunro Ogba, one of the beneficiaries of make-up/organic product training, Mrs Lara Odunuga, expressed her gratitude to the chairman for organising the training session.

“I thank our chairman for giving us this sound training. When we finish, I can have a source of making money by rendering services to people and producing my own products.

“At least, I can become my own boss too, ” she said.

One of the facilitators, an agent of Necessary Measure Against Poverty and Perversity (NEMAPP) under the SPEED-UP Lagos initiative, Remilekun Onasanya, expressed her eagerness to improve the lives of participants at the centre through the training sessions.

Onasanya lauded the chairman for catering for the empowerment needs of Ojodu citizens which would definitely culminate into the realisation of the society of our dream.

Likewise, the Head of Department, Women’s Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs Peju Olagbenro, clamored for more publicity amongst the residents concerning the benefit-studded training session.

Olagbenro said this was a rare opportunity which should be earnestly utilised.

(NAN)