NDDC Commends Plans for Skill Acquisition Centre in Rivers
L-R: The NDDC Acting Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Mr. Effiong Akwa, the NDDC Acting Managing Director, Professor Kemebradikumo Pondei, the President of Etche America Foundation USA, Dr. Richard Nwankwoala, and the Acting Executive Director Projects, Dr Cairo Ojougboh, during a courtesy call by a delegation from the Etche America Foundation, USA, at the NDDC permanent headquarters, Port Harcourt.
The Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta
Development Commission, NDDC, Professor Kemebradikumo Pondei has commended the
plans by a Non-Governmental Organisation to build a skill acquisition centre in
Etche, Rivers State.
Speaking when he received a delegation from the Etche
America Foundation, USA, at the NDDC permanent headquarters, Prof Pondei said
that the skills centre was a laudable project aimed at improving lives of the
peoples of the Niger Delta region.
He observed that skills acquisition and human capital
development were some of the key areas the Federal Government was paying
special attention to in order to engage the youths.
Pondei
said: “We thank you for being altruistic, leaving the comfort of your base in
US to return to give back to your community. This is commendable and we urge
other communities to emulate your efforts.”
The
NDDC Chief Executive Officer said that the project was worth supporting but
noted that the Commission was currently going through some financial
challenges. He counseled for patience, as the budget of the Commission had not
been approved, hence there was a limitation on how much the Commission could
do.
For
the skill acquisition centre to be sustainable, the NDDC boss advised the
foundation to make a conscious effort to provide instructors who will keep the
project running. “We hope that the centre will not be limited to serving only
people from Etche but should be open to all Niger Delta people,” Pondei said.
Earlier in his address, the President of Etche America
Foundation USA, Dr. Richard Nwankwoala, commended the NDDC for its
interventionist programmes in the Niger Delta region which has brought succor
to the peoples of the region.
He called on the NDDC to support the foundation in
setting up Skills Acquisition Centers in Etche communities in Rivers State
noting that they had been partners in the empowerment of the people of the
Niger Delta region.
Nwankwoala appealed to the NDDC to support the
programmes of the Etche America Foundation, which included building roads that
would connect Etche communities and renovation of hospitals in the area.
He
said: “We seek financial assistance from you which will enable us to complete
our Skill Acquisition programme that we have embarked upon as a way of engaging
and empowering the youths in Etche land.
“Etche
America Foundation (EAF), has planned to build a Skills Acquisition Centre to
train the youths in various skills which includes Poultry and Fishery,
Auto-technical, Electricals, Plumbing, Tiling, Welding, Leatherworks (shoes and
bags making), Fashion Design and Catering Services.”
He
said that their objective was to get the youths to acquire meaningful and
self-sustaining skills that would improve their lives, support their families
and communities and thus reduce criminality in the country.
Charles Obi Odili
Director, Corporate
Affairs
November 18, 2020.