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Speaking after commissioning the
Bakery and Knitting Centre of the Saint John’s Vocational and
Technical (VOTEC), Neni, Anaocha Local Government Area of the
State, Monday, Chief Mrs. Obiano explained that ‘’learning by
doing’’ which the vocational and technical training offers will help to check
unemployment situation in the country.
Governor Obiano’s wife reasoned
that many educated university graduates are not skilled due to absence of
entrepreneurial programmes in institutions; hence they roam the street in
search of non-existent or few white collar jobs while those with skills provide
jobs for themselves make profit and employ others.
She appreciated the vision of the
founders and management of the VOTEC in setting up the institute which
according to her, is in line with the philosophy behind the efforts in
establishing her pet project, Caring Family Enhancement Initiative (CAFE),
which has a mandate to care for the less privileged and reduce women-child
vulnerability while maintaining the dignity of the physically challenged people
in Anambra state. CAFE also galvanizes resources for the uplifting of orphans,
vulnerable children and the physically challenged. CAFE initiates vocational
training and skill acquisition for indigent women so as to reduce poverty level
to the barest minimum.
‘‘I know of many university
graduates who after many years of graduating are yet to find job. The reason is
that they passed through the institutions without acquiring necessary skills to
make them self-sufficient, make money and employ others.
“This is the time to start. You
have to be part of building the establishment, being the solution instead of
constituting the problem. Put interest in what you are doing here so that you
can assist in nation building through the skill development which will make you
self-sufficient and bread winners in your various families.”
She also pointed out that her pet
project, CAFE focuses on issues that promote and improve the welfare of the
most vulnerable and disadvantage groups in the society, disable, destitute, the
aged children and rehabilitate youths and channel them to better people in the
society.
Speaking further, Chief Mrs. Obiano
commended the school management for establishing VOTEC, saying
it enables students to remain focused and busy and as such avoid the temptation
of falling into the hand of criminals and sex trade racketeers and traffickers.
According to her, CAFE is presently
embarking upon training of women and girls in soap making, adding that soap
production machines and stipends have equally been provided to some trainees to
commence their skill acquisition activities.
Governor Obiano’s wife
assured the management of VOTEC of possible assistance from the State
government, noting that she has had meaningful discussions with her husband,
the governor whom she described as entrepreneurship-friendly on how best to
assist the Institute, adding that he has promised to send the Education
Commissioner and her team to the Institute to appraise situations and areas of
possible assistance especially concerning the skill acquisition complex.
Also speaking the Anambra State
Commissioner for Education, Dr. Mrs. Kate Omenugha emphasized the importance
attached to vocational educational in the state education curricular as a tool
for ensuring that youths are meaningfully engaged after formal education. She
explained that the governor classified education as an enabler to underscore
the central role it plays in equipping the individual for the achievement of
life’s goal and praised the commitment of the promoters of VOTEC for the
value-added in reducing unemployment.
In his remarks, the Bishop of Awka,
Bishop Ezeokafor recalled that the Institute began when he was the Parish
Priest at Neni, pointing out that the Institute will produce skilled personnel
who will be self-employed and self-sufficient as well as employers of labour.
Bishop Ezeokafor expressed
happiness with Obiano’s administration which he said is working and called for
total support to the administration, just as he praised the governor’s wife for
establishing her pet project which targets mainly at the women, widows and
indigent ones.
Earlier in his welcome address, the
Director of the Centre, Rev. Fr. Francis Michael Enyisiobi expressed
appreciation with the visit of the wife of the governor to commission the
centre and commended Catholic Bishop of Awka, His Lordship Most Rev. Paulinus
Ezeokafor for initiating the establishment of the Institute, and prayed for
full realization of St. John’s Polytechnic and St. Peter University.
Rev. Fr. Enyosiobi who appreciated
the governor for his interest in vocational and technical education
while commending the wife for initiating CAFE through which lives have been
touched especially that of widows and indigent women, requested for partnership
between the Institute and the State government in order to make the State and
its youths an ideal.
He recalled that CAFE had
few days ago brought some 21 women picked randomly from the 21 local
government areas of the State to VOTEC for training and empowerment,
and appreciated the choice of the Institute as the training ground.
The clergy noted that the Institute
clocked 15 years on September 9, this year and has currently enrolled 420 adult
females who take part in different vocational and technical training
programmes, adding that the trainees look up to the governor’s wife as a role
model.
He requested the governor’ wife to
help channel their request of completing the two-storey building and to
commission the new Auditorium/Practical Laboratory and Classroom Block still
under construction, while requesting for provision of coaster bus for attending
workshops.
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