Imo State Government has stated its commitment to stimulate moribund Skills Acquisition Centres in the State and position them for effective service delivery.
The Commissioner for Entrepreneurship and Skills Acquisition, Hon. Ikechukwu Umeh, who disclosed this during a facility tour of Skills Acquisition Centre within the premises of the State Bureau for Poverty Alleviation, said that arrangements were being made to secure other Skills Acquisition Centres in the three zones of the State.
He expressed dismay at the state of affairs of the Bureau for the past nine years and assured that the present administration, under the leadership of Senator Hope Uzodimma, would reinvigorate the Poverty Alleviation Bureau and other Skills Acquisition Centres to serve the needs of Imo people.
Hon. Umeh noted that the Skills Acquisition Centres would serve for practical skills training and charged the Management and Staff of the Bureau to gear up to their responsibilities of creating jobs for Imo women and youths.
He further enjoined them to look beyond salaries and subventions from the government and explore other areas of generating income for themselves and the government.
Also speaking, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Artisans and Technicians, Hon. JohnDonald Ikegwuruka recalled that the Poverty Alleviation Bureau was created in the year 2000 by the then Governor Achike Udenwa to reduce poverty by providing skills and empowering Imo people for self-reliance and wealth creation
He further pointed out that he equally benefitted from the scheme in 2009 and expressed optimism that the Bureau would receive the needed boost to meet its obligations.
The Coordinator, Bureau for Poverty Alleviation, Mr. Lambert Nwamarabia, stated that the Bureau had not received government subversion since 2012 but had through self-efforts of the Management provided skeletal services to remain afloat.
He assured the commissioner of their readiness to perform optimally and appealed for government support.
