By Awhawha Awhawha
The Delta State Government says the administration has entered into a partnership with Junior Achievers of Nigeria, with the aim to assist and empower survivors of trafficking in the state.
The State Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Community Support Services, and Girl Child Development, Miss Orode Uduaghan, made this known in Asaba, the state capital, while briefing members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Asaba Correspondent’s Chapel, on programs and policies of the ministry for the new year
Miss Orode Uduaghan also noted plans by her ministry to partner with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons NAPTIP, to train girls in senior secondary levels SS1, SS2 and SS3, on measures to prevent trafficking and common antics deployed by traffickers to lure their victims.
She indicated that
“This organization is coming to Delta State to partner with Secondary Schools to teach girls who are in SS2, SS3 entrepreneurial skills. His Excellency (Governor Sheriff Oborevwori) just recently approved that, so that is going to be happening in all the twenty-five local government areas of the state.”
Also on girl-child development initiatives, the Commissioner announced that the state government had approved a program to train girls in the twenty five local government areas between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five on digital literacy, entrepreneurship skills and business management to become self-sustaining individuals.
She observed that in the last year, the ministry in partnership with Entrepreneurship Development Center had empowered two hundred and fifty persons in each of the twenty five local government areas, where one thousand seven hundred outstanding participants were given grants of a hundred and fifty thousand naira each, to set up their businesses.
On the humanitarian agenda of the ministry, Miss Orode Uduaghan pointed that under the M.O.R.E Grant Scheme focused on business holders from poor and vulnerable households, the government had provided between seventy thousand naira and a hundred thousand naira, to one thousand six hundred petty traders to encourage their businesses.
The Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs added that one thousand eight hundred and twenty six artisans engaged in various works also received support under the M.O.R.E Grant Scheme executed by her ministry.
Miss Uduaghan stressed
“We had about thirty professions, we are talking about people who repair bicycles, to people who repair fridge etc. His Excellency (Gov Oborevwori) supported one thousand eight hundred and twenty six of them.”
Meanwhile, the Chairman Nigeria Union of Journalists NUJ, Asaba Correspondent’s Chapel Comrade Ifeanyi Olannye, commended the important role played by the Humanitarian Affairs, Community Support Services and Girl Child Development ministry in supporting poor and vulnerable households, especially under the current economic hardships.
Comrade Ifeanyi Olannye, who emphasized the role of journalists as watchdog of society, with a duty to hold the government accountable, also pledged the support of members of the union to promote the developmental agendas of the government.
