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By Kenneth Udeh
Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has organised an intensive training for youths in Cinematography in Abia North Senatorial District.
According to Kalu representing the district at the National Assembly, the training facilitated in partnership with the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC), would serve as a springboard for youths to explore the opportunities in cinematography, thereby making ways for them to earn a living through content creation and film making.
The flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the February 25th Senatorial elections stressed that with the advent of social media and its monetisation, youths can now create film contents to make a living, hence the provision of digital cameras, brand new laptops and start up cash to each participant at the conclusion of the training.
Kalu charged the beneficiaries to take advantage of the training which was offered to them free of charge. He tasked the youths to be grateful to President Buhari administration for making it possible, in addition to approving the construction of several infrastructural projects in Abia-North and the South East as a whole.
At Umunneochi on Tuesday where the training was held, Kalu urged the youths to leverage on the gains of the exercise; “This training will be held in phases across the five local government areas of Abia North, and it was made possible through the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari. You might have your reservations about the performance of the APC government, but you will quite agree with me that the party under Buhari has been good to us in Abia-North and even the South East.
“We all know the state of the Enugu-Lokpanta-Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway two years ago, but today, the road has been constructed and delivered. It is my hope that you will use this training and the materials provided to kick start your career in cinematography. The era of social media has made it easier to make money through content creation which I expect you all to have advantage of using the funds and materials given to you all.
On Thursday, over 100 graduates from Isikwuato Local Government Area were trained in different areas of cinematography.
Speaking during the presentation of certificates and items such as laptops and cameras at Commonwealth Hotel, Eluama Isikwuato, Senator Kalu said that the exercise was aimed at developing human capacity and employment generation for youth in the Senatorial District.
He explained that the training and empowerment would hold across the five local government areas of Abia North Senatorial District.
He said: “I want to congratulate all the participants of this event. We were in Umunneochi Local Government Area a few days ago. Today, it is the turn of Isikwuato Local Government Area. Please take what we are doing seriously. We have just empowered farmers across all the villages in Abia North Senatorial District, and we are also doing direct empowerment to our youths and women. We are tired of eating rice and beans; People should be empowered directly. We have done very well, Abia North is doing better than others. It is not about elections. We have done a lot through the Central Bank of Nigeria, Humanitarian Affairs Ministry and so many others. It might not be you today but tomorrow might be yours. I want our youths to be good ambassadors of our district.”
Senator Kalu, a former two-term governor of Abia State, congratulated all the beneficiaries and urged them to diligently apply the skills learned in course of their training for their socio-economic advancement in the society.
He said: “As part of my representative functions to my constituents over the years, I have made it of paramount importance that it should be the people first and I am committed to do more for our people. We have attracted construction of rural roads, renovation of schools, installation of streetlights, sinking of boreholes and many others. But we are here to also directly reach out to you through this empowerment.”
Legislative Aide to the Senate Chief Whip, Victor Ettie, appreciated Senator Kalu for making history as the first Parliamentarian to empower youths with brand new laptops. Ettie thanked the Senate Chief Whip for making available refreshments throughout the training, in addition to the learning materials and resources for practicing.
He said: “We are all grateful for this initiative. You have made impacts in infrastructure, Agriculture and now ICT. You have provided us not just the training but with learning materials, a brand new set of laptops, digital cameras, food , water and cash awards for each participant. In the history of Abia-North nobody has empowered Youths with Laptops.
Meanwhile, the Senate Chief Whip has intensified the distribution of free High Powered Cassava Processing Machines to all communities in Abia North.
The exercise which commenced days ago has seen the machines distributed further to 44 communities in Ututu and Ihechiowa all in Arochukwu local government area who have since taken delivery of the plants.
Each of the villages were entitled to a unit of these plants which according to the Senate Chief Whip will reduce the cost of grinding their products, enhance productivity and increase their profit in extension the economic livelihood.
The community representatives, who welcomed the entourage of Senator Kalu, who was represented by the Arochukwu / Ohafia Federal Constituency candidate, Hon Daniel Okeke into Ututu and Ihechiowa rained gratitude on the Senate Chief Whip for keeping to his promise of providing them with the machines.
Speaking during the distribution, Hon. Daniel Okeke charged the people to be aware of the benefits that will follow if Senator Orji Uzor Kalu is re-elected to the Senate.
Said he: “Ututu has not had this opportunity given to us by APC to contest for the House of Representative. The PDP did not give us such an opportunity, APGA didn’t but APC gave us that opportunity and the person that made this possible is Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, because Orji Kalu knows that I have the kind of heart that he has. We have the heart to work for the people. With the two of us at the federal level, as Orji Kalu is doing all this work, I will also be doing the same and our community will open for more developments.
“We have measured so many roads here in Arochukwu and some of them are already awarded. Orji Kalu made everything easy for all these things to get to us, because he has the connections, he knows what to do to get things done, things that will benefit the people.”
Hon Daniel Okeke assured the people that with Sen Orji Kalu at the Senate, joining him at the National Assembly would be the end to bad roads in Ututu and Ihechiowa.
It was gathered that the distribution of the processing machines for the low income earners in rural areas is still on-going, with assurances that the remaining communities will receive theirs in earnest.
