Delta Monarch Lauds Lawmaker For Empowering Residents With ICT Trainings, Farming Tool

PHOTO shows the traditional ruler of Uvwie Kingdom in Delta State, His Majesty, Dr. Emmanuel Sideso Abe I (middle) with the lawmaker, Hon. Benedict Etanabene (second right), and others at the event.

By Oluwayemi Davidson, Warri 

The Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom in Delta State, His Majesty, Emmanuel Sideso Abel, has lauded the lawmaker representing Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Benedict Etanabene for empowering residents of the Constituency with ICT proficiency trainings and also equipping them with modern farming tools, among others.

He described the gesture as people-oriented. The monarch gave the commendation during the commissioning of an ICT Training Empowerment hub built and equipped by the lawmaker for the constituents, located within the premises of Our Lady's High School, Effurun in Uvwie LGA.

The event also featured presentation of sewing machines and modern farming tools to women and youths drawn from the Constituency who had undergone empowerment training programmes in fashion designing as well as modern farming under the scheme.

A total of 31 computer sets and 41 sewing machines were presented by Hon. Etanabene at the occasion marking the first phase of the empowerment scheme during which the lawmaker remarked that his style of empowerment "is a shift from short-term solution to long-term empowerment".

In his address at the commissioning ceremony on Wednesday, the traditional ruler commended the lawmaker for the mass empowerment initiatives noting that "they would go a long way in positively impacting on the people".

The king urged the beneficiaries to "build on the good foundation the lawmaker has laid for their self sustenance".

He also charged the beneficiaries to "take adequate care of the facilities" and use them for the betterment of their lives.
Speaking earlier, Hon. Etanabene disclosed that he initiated the empowerment programmes comprising ICT training, fashion designing and farming project schemes for people of the Constituency "in order to create opportunities for them which they can leverage upon to making a living for themselves, their families and their dependants".

The lawmaker faulted the idea of palliatives and doleouts as panacea to the present economic hardship in the country insisting that "what the people need is empowerment".
"Palliatives doesn't work in enhancing the economic emancipation of the people", he emphasized.

The lawmaker canvassed for mass empowerment programmes for different strata of members of the public saying that "this is part of the ways to bring dividends of democracy closer to the grassroots".

He explained that "the farming initiative targets over 1,000 beneficiaries, and would support farmers with seeds and essential materials, enabling them to produce food from the “fingerlings stage to the dinning table”.

According to him, the government would buy the produce from the farmers, ensuring profitability.
“We want to empower our farmers, and we are committed to providing them with everything they need, from seeds to marketing opportunities. We are targeting 1,000 farmers in this phase, and the next batch will expand further”, he stated.

He spoke further, "We want to move away from the practice of giving out stipends that last less than 24 hours. Instead, we are creating opportunities that people can leverage on to better their lives and those of their families.
"There is no need for the people to be begging for livelihood. 

Palliatives and poverty alleviation doleouts doesn't work. If you give people N10,000 or N30,000, how long does it last any person.  But these empowerment programmes are opportunities for you to start up your life and make meaningful of it at the end of the day.

"By God's grace, the empowerment programmes will be sustainable, politics or no politics.  It is my passion.  I have all my life been working for people's emancipation.  It is not just because I am presently a member of the House of Representatives that I just developed the passion.

I want to create wealth in people.  And I want to see people self sustaining". The lawmaker appealed to the beneficiaries to "take the programmes very serious" adding that "it is an opportunity that they should endeavour to use very well to be self sustaining rather than begging for livelihood".

Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, the duo of Mrs. Raluchukwu Nwokafor and Binitie Juliet thanked the lawmaker for his gesture promising to live up to expectations.

"Hon. Benedict Etanabene, with his gesture, has taken many people in the Constituency, out of poverty", they submitted.