By Sam Otuonye
Last week, Hope Rising for Imolites Foundation undertook a skill acquisition training, graduating over 200 Imo State citizens across 27 location government areas, in the first batch of the empowerment series, after a two-week intensive and impactful engagement.
Barr. Obioma Success Akagburuonye Founder and financier, Hope Rising for Imolites, (loosely translated to Igbo as ‘Olile Anya Di, Maka Odinma Ndimo’), founded the non-governmental organization (NGO) as an avenue to reach out to Imo citizens and communities, with healthcare, scholarship, skills acquisition, employment, evangelism, solar powered light and water, seed capital, and other development initiatives.
The graduation was a thanksgiving of sort, with the beneficiaries rendering deep praises for Barr. Akagburuonye whose humanitarian and philanthropic gestures have lifted millions of Imolites out of poverty, sickness, frustration and hopelessness.
The Skill Sets
Itat was a two-week intensive skills acquisition training programme with over 200 Imo citizens across the 27 local government areas participating in the first batch in six different skill sets.
The training which held at the Foundation’s Ogbor Uvuru, Mbaise, Imo State office, was conducted by an Abuja based entrepreneurship skills acquisition consultants, with Mrs. Patience Mekwune as CEO.
Mekwune informed that the beneficiaries were practically and theoretically well trained in high quality bakery and confectionaries production, modern production of spices, paints, cosmetics, ultra modern decorations, fashion with make up artistry, household products such as, soaps, detergents, disinfectants, insecticides, and branding and marketing strategies.
Beneficiaries Celebrate Akagburuonye
“Akagburuonye has rescued us from abject poverty to prosperity”, they chorused in unison.
The excited beneficiaries were overwhelmed with joy, as some of them like Onyekachi Christiana, Treasure Njoku, Favour Emeka, Emmanuel Ewulonu, Joy Amadi, James Chinemerem, and Josiah Nwadikom, profoundly expressed optimism that henceforth they have become employers of labour and wealth creators, even as they courageously confessed that by God’s grace they have the vision of becoming multi millionaires as determined producers of high quality essential commodities within the next two to three years.
Mr Samuel Onyekachi, who graduated from Federal University of Technology, Owerri, FUTO as a Civil Engineer for the past 10 years doing menial and unstable jobs expressed regrets for those years which he described as ” wasted years” said the training opened his eyes in entrepreneurship and wealth creation, vowing not to work for anybody again.
“I will never work for anybody or organization again. Am now well equipped to be producer of high quality insecticides, detergents, disinfectants and other household products. My focused now is to be an employer of labour, my brother, there’s profit and dignity in production. Honestly, the trainers opened our eyes to wealth creation and independent business mindedness.
“After God, I own special gratitude to Chief Success Obioma Akagburuonye, Akaraugo Ndigbo dum dum. The day he addressed us, he told us, that he is not interested in giving people fish but to teach them how to catch fishes. He also said that, his vision in democratic governance is to make Imolites wealth creators.
“Honestly, I never understood him, until we started the programmes. For the first time in my life in recent time, am feeling fulfilled and excited, because I have now seen a better future, my destiny has been rekindled”.
Imo Government Witnesses Event
In his goodwill message, the Imo State Commissioner for Labour, Employment and Productivity, Professor Boniface Nworgu, who was ably represented by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Austin Ekeji expressed gratitude for the multi million naira skills empowerment programme, describing the philanthropic sponsor, Akagburuonye, as “a true son of Igbo land of Mbaise extraction.”
The Commissioner applauded Hope Rising for Imolites Foundation for being supportive of the Ministry’s mission and vision while congratulating the graduands for the special privilege they have been exposed to, towards a sustainable standard of earning a living, as well as their sacrifices and patience for societal benefits.
Nworgu noted the empowerment training programme is part of the State government clarion calls for collaborative partnership with the private sector and individuals, as the State government has formidable roles to play in assisting the trainees.
He assured the participants that they have a lot of beneficial opportunities for growth being provided by the State government, especially in skills acquisition and entrepreneurship and enjoined them to identify with the Ministry also.
NAFDAC, SON in Attendance
Mrs Hellen Okanu, of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), also commended the leadership of Hope Rising for Imolites Foundation for the massive entrepreneurship skills acquisition opportunities offered to the people mostly women and youths, especially in this era that people are easily being introduced into social vices due to poverty and unemployment.
Okanu said her organization is already in collaborative partnership with Hope Rising for Imolites Foundation in their entrepreneurship skills acquisition training programmes and that NAFDAC as an Agency is committed to ensure that their products are seamlessly registered after due diligence.
Speaking also Dr. Comfort Echebiri of Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON), informed the people that their products registration process services is now fully automated as all the required documents for SON certification are uploaded on their website in which they will process and visit the production operational site and subsequently sample the product(s) in their lab for a test of nationally certified standard.
Okanu and Echebiri assured the graduands of their organizations willingness to assist them in ensuring production of quality products as well as products registrations, documentations and standardization.
Akagburuonye Responds
Success Obioma Akagburuonye, a lawyer, Engineer, Realtor, Kingdom investor, and Imo State 2027 governorship aspirant, who has been in the business of empowering people and communities for over two decades thanked the trainers, graduands, government, and regulators, for their support.
Represented at the event by Prof. Nwa Jesus Onyekuru, pointed out that the programme was tailored towards empowering Imolites in diverse ways so as to cushion the effects of economic headwinds in Nigeria and the world at large.
According to him, ” I am not a professional politician, as I have my means of livelihood already sustaining me, my family, dependants and well-wishers.
“I remain determined to contaminate all my followers with the virus that makes one to be self-confident, self-esteemed, and self-reliant, hence, rely on God for sustenance, trusting that God has the time table of your life. So, you need to talk to Him and trust Him for all impossibilities can be made possible, then work hard, fear God, do not be insensitive to the plight of others”.
He also expressed satisfaction that the training consultants successfully impacted both theoretical and practical knowledge by really showing the trainees, ” how to put food on their table.”
Akagburuonye, Imo State 2027 Governorship hopeful under APC stated that the training partners have guaranteed to attract government certifying agencies for certifications of Hope Rising for Imolites Foundation products and that will serve as the first empowerment to all the trainees.
He further informed that with the certificate issued to them after graduation that they are now qualified to start production on their own and make income for good living.
He advised the beneficiaries to go to the places of their residence especially, their villages, and establish what they have learnt so as to be a tool in training others, with the aim to recycling the knowledge and creating employment and wealth.
Akagburuonye equally assured of visiting all the trainees in their various locations so as to ascertain those who are really serious and further empower them with Starter packs, noting that the plan is to teach Imolites how to fish and by the grace of God if he becomes the Governor of the State, he will give them tools to fish abundantly.
Highlight of the occasion was the visit to display stands of various products, skills and services produced by the graduands as part of their certification.
