Amby Uneze in Owerri
Imo State Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha has commended his wife, Nneoma Nkechi Rochas Okorocha for embarking on projects that touch the lives of the people of the state especially the unemployed, indigent widows and orphans in the society.
Okorocha made the remark during the unveiling ceremony and first matriculation of students of the newly-built ultra-modern Skills Acquisition Centres in the three senatorial zones of Owerri, Orlu and Okigwe recently, christened ‘Nneoma Skills Acquisition Centre’.
He commended the initiative behind the setting up of the Centres, describing it as a step in the right direction in view of the nation’s prevalent disturbing economic climate.
The governor expressed the desire to link up the centre with the relevant department of the State Polytechnic, so as to design requisite certificates that would be awarded to the students when they graduate.
According to him, “Education alone is not just preparation for life, but it is life itself. The best form of education is that which allows one to develop the talent inside thereby making oneself his/ her own boss. This great initiative needs not to be re-emphasised. It calls for all and sundry to support the first lady of Imo State”.
Speaking during the unveiling of the centre for Okigwe Zone built in Ihitte/Uboma Council area, Mrs. Okorocha explained that the centre was established for the purpose of skills acquisition and economic empowerment of the people.
“My target is that in no distant time, our students would become self reliant, independent and great entrepreneurs of repute who I believe would eventually become captains of industries and employers of labour”, she said.
She added that the centre is a practical arm of the ‘Factory, Job, Employment’ vision of the state governor, which he promised the people of the state in his second term.
Conscious of the current global economic recession, the governor’s wife noted that it is no longer ideal to depend entirely on white-collar jobs; hence the necessity for the skills acquisition centre.
The Centre, she said, trains students is different skills such as computer training, fashion and designing, hairdressing and beauty, catering, photography and cosmetology, adding that the centre is a great brand of excellence which boasts of highly-qualified instructors who are skilled, committed and above all passionate about their work.
The Imo First Lady said the curriculum of the centre had been developed and adapted to be in line with best practices in collaboration with the State Polytechnic School system.
Also speaking, the administrator of the centre, Mr. Rex Onyemara, disclosed that the centre is a place of knowledge where students learn from highly qualified instructors, and under a very serene environment.
He said the six skills acquisition departments have state-of-the-art equipment but listed some challenges of the centre to include: a mini cottage industry which he said was not yet operational due to non availability of industrial machines that are rather expensive.
Chairman of the occasion and two-time senator for Imo North, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume said the wife of the governor by establishing the centre had written her name in gold. He associated himself with the noble idea in setting up the centre and pledged to support the growth of the centre.
He noted that wives of past governors of the state never achieved what Mrs. Okorocha had achieved, such as building of homes for indigent women and enjoined the people of Okigwe Zone to support the project.
