Skills Acquisition: Akagburuonye have rescued us from poverty to prosperity – Beneficiaries

By Everest Ezihe, Owerri

It was like a thanks giving church service as the beneficiaries of Barr. Success Obioma Akagburuonye two weeks intensive multi million Naira sponsored skills acquisition empowerment training programmes took time to shower praises on the financier as they all in unison said ” Akagburuonye have rescued us from abject poverty to prosperity”.

It was the historical graduation of over 200 Imo citizens across the 27 local government areas of the Eastern Heartland State who participated in the first batch entrepreneurship skills acquisition empowerment training programmes in six different skills fully sponsored by Akagburuonye at Assemblies of God Church, Ogbor Uvuru in Aboh Mbaise Local Governnent Area of Imo State under the auspices of Hope Rising for Imolites (Olile Anya Di, Maka Odinma Ndimo).

The training was conducted by Pato-Binto Entrepreneurship Training Company, an Abuja based entrepreneurship skills acquisition organizational experts led by Mrs. Patience Mekwune as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, CEO.

Mekwune informed that the beneficiaries were practically and theoretically well trained in bakery and confectionaries production, modern production of spices, paints production, ultra modern decorations, fashion with makes up artist and household soaps, detergents, disinfectants, branding and marketing strategies etc.

The excited beneficiaries were overwhelmed with confidence, as most of them like Onyekachi Christiana, Treasure Njoku, Favour Emeka, Emmanuel Ewulonu, Joy Amadi, James Chinemerem, and Josiah Nwadikom publicly expressed optimism that henceforth they have become employers of labour and wealth creators, even as they courageously assured that with God’s Grace they have the vision of being multi millionaires as determined producers of high quality essential commodities within the next two to three years.

Adding his voice, Mr. Samuel Onyekachi who interacted with this reporter said that he graduated from Federal University of Technology, Owerri, FUTO as a Civil Engineer for the past 10 years doing menially unsteady jobs expressed regrets for those years which he described as ” wasted years” said the training opened his eyes in entrepreneurship and wealth creation.

” I will never work for anybody or organization again. Am now well equipped to be producer of high quality insecticides, detergents, disinfectants and other household products. My focuse now is to be an employer of labour, my brother, there’s profit and dignity in production. Honestly, the trainers opened our eyes to wealth creation and independent business minded.

“After God, I own special gratitude to Chief Success Obioma Akagburuonye, Akaraugo Ndigbo dum dum. The day he addressed us, he told us, that he is not interested in giving people fish but to teach them how to catch fishes. He also said that, his vision in democratic governance is to make Imolites wealth creators.

“Honestly, I never understood him, until we started the programmes. For the first time in my life in recent time, am filling fulfilled and excited, because I have now seen a better future, my destiny has been rekindled”.

The graduation ceremony which attracted creme la de creme of the society was presided over by Professor Nwa Jesus Onyekuru, who ably represented Akagburuonye as he was inadvertently absent due to crucial business engagements abroad, just as Hon. Udo Njoku, the Personal Assistant to the National Leader, Hope Rising for Imolites Foundation, a revered sociopolitical non governmental organization excellently moderated the well attended programme.

Akagburuonye pointed out that the programme was tailored towards empowering Imolites in diverse ways so as to cushion the effects of economic imbalance in Nigeria and the world at large.

According to him, ” I am not a professional politician, as I have my means of livelihood already sustaining me, my family, dependants and well-wishers.

” I remain determined to contaminate all my followers with the virus that makes one to be self-confident, self-esteemed, self-reliance and, hence, rely on God for his/her sustenance, trusting that God has the time table of your life. So, you need to talk to Him and trust Him for all impossibilities can be made possible, then work hard, fear God, do not be insensitive to the plight of others”.

He also expressed satisfaction that the revered training organizational 11 man training team from Abuja have successfully impacted both theoretical and practical knowledge by really showing the trainees, ” how to put food on their table”.

This the unrepentant Kingdom Investor said, is in resonance with his plan to teach Imolites how to fish and by the grace of God if he becomes the Governor of the State, he will give them tools to fish abundantly.

Akagburuonye reiterated that the training partners have guaranteed to attract government certifying agencies to attract certifications of Hope Rising for Imolites Foundation products and that will serve as the first empowerment to all the trainees.

He further informed that with the certificate issued to them after graduation that they are now qualified to start production on their own and make income for good living.

The Imo State 2027 Governorship hopeful under APC political platform patriotically advised the beneficiaries to go to the places of their residence especially their villages and establish what they have learnt so as to be a tool in training others, aimed at societal circles of creating employment and wealth.

Akagburuonye equally assured of visiting soon all the trainees in their various locations so as to ascertain those who are really serious and further empower them with Starter pack.

In his goodwill message, the Imo State Commissioner for Labour, Employment and Productivity, Professor Boniface Nworgu, who was ably represented by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Austin Ekeji expressed gratitude for the evergreen skills acquisition empowerment programmes and more especially the philanthropic sponsor of the multi million program whom he described as a true son of Igbo land of Mbaise extraction.

Nworgu described the empowerment training programme as part of the state government’s clarion call for collaborative partnership with private sectors and individuals as the State government have formidable roles to play in assisting the trainers.

He assured the participants that they have a lot of beneficial opportunities for growth being provided by the State government, especially in skills acquisition and entrepreneurship and enjoined them to identify with the Ministry also.

The Commissioner applauded Hope Rising for Imolites Foundation for being supportive with the Ministry’s mission and vision while congratulating the graduands for the special privilege they have been exposed to towards a sustainable standard of earning a living, as well as their sacrifices and patience for societal benefits.

Hon. Eddy Obinna, one time House member that represented Aboh Mbaise State Constituency in Imo House of Assembly and also doubles as the Special Adviser to Akagburuonye on Political Matters, lauded his principal for his persistent humanitarian and philanthropic gestures to humanity and the society at large.

He described Akagburuonye as a private business driven icon with milk of human kindness in helping mankind and that his vision and mission of joining politics is to leverage on government potentials in accelerated development and transformations of the society.

Mrs. Hellen Okanu, of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC also commended the leadership of Hope Rising for Imolites Foundation for the massive entrepreneurship skills acquisition opportunities offered to the people mostly women and youths, especially in this era, that people are easily being introduced into anti-social vices due to poverty and unemployment.

Okanu said her organization is already in collaborative partnership with Hope Rising for Imolites Foundation in their entrepreneurship skills acquisition training programmes and that NAFDAC as an Agency is committed in ensuring that their products are seamlessly registered under due diligence and process

Speaking also Dr. Comfort Echebiri of Standards Organization of Nigeria, SON informed the people that their products registration process services is now fully automated as all the required documents for SON certification must be uploaded in their website in which they will process and visit the production operational site and subsequently sample the product(s) in their lab for a test of nationally certified standard.

Okanu and Echebiri assured the graduands of their organizations willingness to assist them in ensuring their production of quality products as well as products registrations, documentations and standardization.

Highlight of the occasion was the visitation of stands display of various products, skills and services produced by the graduands as part of their certification.