From Obinna Odogwu, Awka
The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment has distributed some empowerment equipment worth about N50 million to the graduates of its training programmes drawn from various parts of Anambra State.
The equipment included; small generators, grinding machines and water pumping generators for sucking water from reservoirs, rivers and streams. The water generators would be used by small holder farmers amongst the beneficiaries for irrigating their farms.
The Minister in charge of the Ministry, Senator Chris Ngige, who handed the items over to the beneficiaries, said that the event was the second edition of the empowerment programme. He said that the third and fourth would be held before the end of the year and that the federal government targets to empower about 3,000 people in Anambra before the end of the year.
“This empowerment programme is for those who will use these items here to further their businesses. If you sell any of these items, we will arrest you with police. You must use them to create further employment. It is a job creation programme.
“All these other items here are in the range of about N45 to N50 million. That’s what is going to be shared among you today. And the essence being that we want you to create your own jobs, employ yourselves.