PATRICK ABANG, Calabar –
Brotherhood of the Cross and Star, under its spiritual leader Olumba Olumba Obu has began the disbursement of N20 million for the training and empowerment of 230 Nigerian youths.
Under the first phase, more than 70 youths from Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Enugu, Kaduna, Kogi and Rivers states received starter packs in Calabar for training of organic farming such as fish hatching and raring, cultivating mushroom, pepper, fluted pumpkin, okro and tomatoes among several others.
At the presentation ceremony in Calabar, the spiritual leader said he had inaugurated a body called Brotherhood All Youths Assembly Enterprise Council headed by Ibinabo Michael West to manage the empowerment process.
Secretary of the council, Dr Eneawaji Ukoima, said the presentation of the starter packs which was first in the series held at Rivers State and Cross River State centres yesterday.
Dr. Ukoima said the packs would be distributed to the youths to assist them in practicalizing the various skills they learnt so far.
He said the gesture by the spiritual leader was to commemorate the annual convention of the Brotherhood All Youths Assembly (BAYA) where youths from diverse backgrounds across many African countries and elsewhere converge to march round major cities and streets on what they call Peace March.
Ukoima said: “The beneficiaries have been asked to form themselves into cooperative groups to access greater benefits and funding.
“Our sponsor and leader has earmarked, at least, N20 million for the training and empowerment of Nigerian and other African youths in areas of modern agriculture, ICT, tailoring, and other assorted skills.”
According to him, the beneficiaries will be on a probation period of 12 months within which the BAYA council would monitor the progress of the cooperative.
“When we are satisfied with the successes achieved in the operation of the cooperative within the said time, the BAYA council in collaboration with the cooperative body will fix a date of ceremony for a formal transmission of full title/ownership of the starter packs to the cooperators/cooperative. The aim is to introduce additional fund to rejig and recapitalize the business of the cooperative organization.”
According to him, the packs include funds for renting of land, registration of cooperative societies, provision of N1m as take off grant for the 10 states at N100,000 each state.
Dr. Ukoima said they would also provide 20 mobile fish ponds for the 10 states, 4,000 fingerlings and seedlings in excess of 500; for tomatoes, fluted pumpkin, pepper among others.
He said the second phase of the training will be on education and selection process will starts in September 2021.
Leave a Reply