Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Delta State Council, Comrade Churchill Oyowe has described Ethiope West Local Government Council as a trailblazer in youth skills acquisition and development.
The commendation came at heels of a courtesy visit by the Comrade Churchill Oyowe led State Working Committee of the Union on the Chairman of Ethiope West local government Council, Rt. Hon. Oghenedoro Nelson Owoso.
Oyowe explained that his team is visiting councils on-the-spot- assessment to ascertain media reports of outstanding performance as part of the NUJ constitutional role as watchdog and in accordance with public governance probity accountability.
He stated that the track record of the council on youth development schemes is highly commendable.
Comrade Oyowe noted that the template of Ethiope West Youth Empowerment Scheme should be signpost for other councils, adding that the well-thought-out initiative would remove idle youths from the streets, while arming them with meaningful skills that would make them economically useful to society.
The NUJ chairman maintained that the youth programme on entrepreneurship will also enable them to become employers of labour and eventually diminish the challenge of unemployment in the area.
The NUJ Chairman identified environmental sanitation as another area the council chairman’s has shown commendable achievements, by his deliberate acquisition of three designated dump sites in the tree clans of Ethiope West council area, namely Oghara, Jesse and Mosogar.
Oyowe also highlighted the council’s commitment to primary education by providing notebooks and other writing.materials to all primary schools in the locality, besides renovation of dilapidated primary schools.
The council has so far made provision of 50,000 notebooks to the 48 primary schools in Ethiope West area as part of palliatives to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal on the pupils and their parents.
While praising Rt. Hon. Owoso for venturing into road rehabilitation despite paucity of funds, Oyowe pointed out this would ease traffic in the major towns and reduce cost of transporation of agricultural produce from the rural, agrarian communities to big markets in the major towns.
Receiving the NUJ team, the Council Chairman, Rt. Hon. Pastor Oghenedoro Nelson Owoso congratulated Comrade Oyowe and his team for their victory at the Union’s election on October 18, adding that the team is evidently capable of piloting the affairs of the NUJ in the State.
Rt. Hon. Owoso remarked that his administration’s projects are not abstract but visible and beneficial to his people.
Owoso said he introduced the Ethiope West Visible Entrepreneurship Skill Acquisition (EWVESA) programme with 18 centres across the LGA, to train youths and equip them in various their various fields of economic endeavours.
He revealed that many youths have enrolled and successfully completed their training with the EWVESA program, noting that starter packs will be presented to them on December 22.
Owoso added that his nearly three years administration has also introduced the first Ethiope West Master business class initiative, to tutor the people on how to establish and grow businesses and enable them succeed in entrepreneurship.
The council chairman stressed that on assumption of office, he prioritised security, considering the fact that “the rate of kidnapping was worrisome.”
“Having identified the point of entry into the area, I approached the Nigeria Army and other security agencies for their services which they obliged and the team swung into action. Eventually, the insecurity issue in the areas was tackled”, the Council boss reflected.
Also part of security efforts, the Council equipped the vigilante formations in Mosogar, Oghara and Jesse kingdoms with operational vehicles to enhance their security network.
Other achievements of the Rt. Jon. Owoso led administration include, inauguration of Ethiope West Visible Environmental Taskforce (EWVETAF), to restore cleanliness in the area; acquisition of waste disposal truck to help evacuate waste to the designated dump sites.
Others are, construction of solar-powered boreholes to provided water and enhance sanitary conditions at Oghara cattle market and other markets and communities in the three clans; official cars were purchased for some council officers and staff of the council and a Sienna bus for the Council NULGE, while exceptionally hardworking staff were rewarded with motorcycles.
On power, he said the council purchased 500 KVA transformers as and accompanying electrical materials to enhance power supply in some communities.
On information technology, Ethiope West Local Government Council has launched an official website, which provides relevant information on the the council area and the three kingdoms that make up Ethiope West.
