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• Four-Day Electrical Installation Training Kicks-Off in Bayelsa
Former President Goodluck Jonathan and Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, have cautioned trainees taking part in a four-day skills acquisition training programme organized by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) not to sell off their starter packs at the end of the exercise.
The two leaders, who made the call at the opening ceremony of the training programme held at the Federal University, Otuoke, in Ogbia Local Government Area of the State on Tuesday, noted that the success of the programme largely depends on the attitude of the beneficiaries.
Speaking as special guest at the event, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan commended President Muhammadu Buhari for giving his approval for the training exercise which draws participants from all the three senatorial districts in the state.
While calling on NASENI and the Local Content Board to establish a functional institute in Bayelsa for quality training in the oil and gas and other critical areas, Jonathan stressed that vocational skills training was the way to go for Nigeria to meet its industrial development target.
He, however, sounded a note of warning that the objective of NASENI would be defeated if the trainees sell off their working materials procured for them.
“While I join others to call on NASENI to increase the number of trainees, I’m mindful and more interested in the quality of the training.
“I’m happy to hear from the CEO of NASENI that they are planning to set up an Oil and Gas Engineering Materials Development Institute in Bayelsa State.
” So, now that President Buhari has mandated me to coordinate your (NASENI) activities, I urge the two of you (NASENI and NCDMB) to work together to make sure that one excellent and functional training centre is built in Bayelsa.
“That will help to churn out our youth every one or two years so that after a period of 5 to 10 years, we will have enough people to work in the industrial parks that are being built.”
On his part, Governor Douye Diri urged governments at all levels to strive to build a massive pool of highly skilled manpower to drive the nation’s industrial development.
Diri, represented by his Deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, disclosed that his administration had trained thousands of youths through its skills acquisition and training programme in the state so far.
He called on the beneficiaries to take the training seriously, tasked NASENI to follow up and track the beneficiaries to ensure that the starter packs do not end up in the market.
Earlier in his remarks, the Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Engineer Simbi Wabote, remarked that specialized youth training was critical to the industrial development of the country.
Describing the theme of the training programme, “Modern Methods of Electrical Installations and Maintenance” as apt, Wabote commended the NASENI for the capacity-building exercise aimed at promoting economic development through science, technology and engineering.
In her welcome address, the Acting Executive Vice Chairman of the NASENI, Mrs. Nonyem Onyechi, said the first phase of the programme was aimed at training 100 Bayelsa youths, as a step towards the fourth Industrial Revolution.
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