IN a bid to promote education in her immediate constituency, the Councilor representing DESIEC Ward 20(Ward 9 Okpanam) Oshimili North Local Government Area, Hon. Nkem Nwankwo has distributed note books and text books to some schools in the community.
Some of the schools visited as part of the activities to mark her 100 Days in office includes; Okpanam High School, Ogbeozoma quarters, Oruchi Comprehensive School Amachai quarters and Joyce International School Ogbeobi quarters Okpanam. At Okpanam High School, 50 students who were selected by the school authority benefitted from the philanthropic gesture of the amiable and enterprising Councillor.
Hon. Nkem Nwankwo also organized a workshop for students of Okpanam High school, where she lectured them on the essence of skill acquisition. She encouraged the students to be interested in acquiring relevant skills apart from their academic pursuit in order to be self-reliant in today’s society where white collar jobs are not readily available.
She told the students that the present economic realities required everyone to have something doing to earn extra income even if the individual had a paid job. She equally advised them to take their studies seriously and shun vices that were inimical to their academic career and their future.
In a chat with Journalists, the Vice Principal (Admin) of Okpanam High School, Mrs. Ogbueshi Margaret, thanked Hon. Nkem Nwankwo for the note books and the Literature text books distributed freely to the students. She noted that the books will encourage the students to be serious with their studies.
In another development, Hon. Nwankwo has, through her skill acquisition center, Jose Nkem trend Skill Acquisition Center, trained 20 persons and empowered them with starter packs, while 20 others are currently undergoing training in areas ranging from Bead making, baking, decoration and event management, as well as culinary skills in Continental dishes.
Speaking to newsmen, some of the graduates and trainees, who were nominated under different platforms for the skill acquisition programme, expressed gratitude to Hon. Nwankwo for the opportunity, stressing it is not easy to pick people from the streets and empower them with skills and make them to be self-reliant.
Mrs. NnekaIjeh, an English Education graduate, who participated in the skill acquisition program under Obodogba slot, said that the baking skill she acquired under the tutelage of Hon. Nkem Nwankwo is now her major source of income.
According to her, she was formerly teaching but after acquiring baking skill, she resigned from teaching and ventured into full time baking with the starter pack given to her. She commended Hon. Nkem for empowering her with baking skill and urged women and youths to embrace skill acquisition to better their lives.
Another trainee, Miss Titilayo Joy Moruf, an indigene of Osun state who used non indigenes (Yoruba community) slot to enlist in the programme, told our correspondent that her area of interest is decoration and event management. She thanked the proprietress of Jose Nkem for giving her the opportunity to acquire skill to make her self-reliant and useful to her family and society.