By Chioma Onuegbu

GOVERNOR Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State has commended the leadership and members of a socio-political organisation, ‘The NEWBREED, TNB, for Sustainable Development’ for training the youths in entrepreneurship and marketable skills.

Emmanuel who gave the commendation during the Business and Entrepreneurship Summit and graduation ceremony organised by TNB, tagged, “Entrepreneurship, A Catalyst for Sustainable Development”, held weekend in Uyo, noted that skills acquisitions was critical in poverty reduction.

Emmanuel who was represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture and natural resources, Dr. Glory Edet, thanked the organisation for understanding the fact that to train the young people to become self-reliant and to engender productive tendencies in the society was a collective responsibility as government could not do it alone.

He congratulated the 330 graduands and beneficiaries of the first batch of the free training, and urged them to utilize their newly acquired skills to advance their growth and development.

His words: “I want to say here that what I am seeing today is very, very encouraging. Let
me start by commending the leadership and members of ‘The NEWBREED’ team for this great and inspiring act of civic engagement.
Like I stated in my State broadcast on our 34th anniversary, skills acquisition is a critical factor in poverty reduction.

“This is the reason why we are rejigging our school curriculum to place emphasis on entrepreneurship and marketable skills so that our graduates will be employers of Labour rather than seekers of employment. So I want to thank Engr. Ekpenyong Ekpenyong for what he has done for you. Government likes what you are doing.

“I want to commend you particularly for placing emphasis on ICT, Fashion design, Leather works, Makeover, and others skills that are needed daily by people across social strata.This government will always partner with groups and organisations such as this that seeks to deepen the Dakkada spirit amongs our people.

“I have been telling people that politics is secondary. The primary thing is your occupation, what you do, what you can do best. And I want to charge all of you that today is a day you can never forget in a lifetime because I know after today you will not remain the same again”

In his good goodwill message, the National Legal Adviser of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) , Barr Emmanuel Enoidem advised Akwa Ibom youths to look away from politics and focus on their God- given talents, noting that most prosperous individuals in the World today are Entrepreneurs.

He appreciated the state governor for transforming the state from a civil service to an industrial hub, and expressed the optmism that with entrepreneurship development, the state could achieve the industrialization dream as countries like Japan, China, Russia, South Korea.
.

“A dream like what ‘The NEWBREED’ has done is what made those countries what they are today. There is no country in the World that is developed through politics, but through entrepreneurship. So I challenge all of you graduands seated here today to make the best of this opportunity. Devote your time, and talent to business, look away from politics, the Civil service.

” Let me also tell you that the most prosperous, successful individuals in the World today are Entrepreneurs, they are not Lawyers, Medical doctors,etc. I believe so much in the ongoing transformation of Akwa Ibom State from a civil service state to an industrialized state. I must say that ‘The NEWBREED’ came at the right moment”, Enoidem said.

In his welcome remarks earlier, the International Coordinator of ‘The NEWBREED for Sustainable Development’, Engr. Ekpenyong Udo Ekpenyong noted that they were inspired to commence the free entrepreneur training for youths on July 5, 2021 following the industrialization drive of the state governor.

He explained that the free training programme was in line with the Dakkada Philosophy of the governor, and fulfilment of their promise to support the governor actualize his vision of making Akwa Ibom an enterpreneur-driven society.

“The Free Entrepreneurship training is tailored to stir interest for practical skills acquisition , other than just reading, writing and going to formal schools that offer purely academic knowlege which is not job oriented.

“Our goal is to transform the mindsets and attitudes of young people from all walks of life to become self-reliant, agents of sustainability and development”, Ekpenyong stressed.