By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja.

KOGI Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA) has flagged off construction of a science laboratory block and Rehabilitation of a hand pump borehole for Apata community in Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi.

Chief Dauda Momoh, General Manager of the Agency while presenting the Approval Letter and cheque for the commencement of the projects at Apata-Ipatun, said the two projects had a total envelope of N15 million.

He said that the two micro projects intervention were being executed under the Basic Services Infrastructure of the Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) programme.

The General Manager expressed delight that the Agency was making the desired impact and commended Governor Yahaya Bello for providing and supporting the World Bank-Assisted programme.

He noted that ordinarily, the World Bank stipulated a 10 per cent community counterpart contribution from benefitting communities but the state government in its bid to enable more communities to benefit, reduced the counterpart contribution to 2.5 per cent.

He urged the community to show personal interest in the projects and assume complete ownership saying, “This project is a grant. No government will later come to take it from you. It is yours, own it, protect it.”

The General Manager said the construction of the science laboratory and furnishings would take N13,699,614.00 while renovation of the handpump borehole takes N1,307,250 making a total of N14,976,864.00.

Presenting a cheque of N3,998,362.10 to the Community Project Management Committee (CPMC) chairman, Hon. Adekunle Babatunde, the General Manager charged the committee to judiciously utilize the fund.

He said that the pace of work would determine the release of the next tranche adding that they were lucky to have a royal father who is much interested in their welfare.

Chief Dauda Momoh appealed to well meaning citizens to help improve facilities in their various communities, citing the transformation of a CSDA health facility in Eika-Ohizenyi to a hospital.

He said that wife of the governor, Barr Amina Oyiza-Bello using her pet project, Hayat Foundation  reconstructed and equipped the health facility in Eika-Ohizenyi community and transformed it to a hospital.

In his remarks, the traditional ruler, the Olu of Apata, Oba Frederick Durojaiye Balogun thanked the state government and the Agency saying the flag-off of the projects was a dream true for the community.

“This is the appointed time God ordained for this project. if we fail to acknowledge your relentless efforts in making sure that this project is a reality today, that means that we are ingrates.

“The government has passionately, out of its kindness, favoured our community. And I want to say here today, we shall continue to support the government of the day and when necessary we shall do what is expected of us.

“This project, I assure you that I will personally supervise it to ensure that quality job is done here and at the end of it, we will take full ownership of this and take care of it. We are indeed, very grateful”, he said.

Chairman of the CPMC, Hon. Adekunle Babatunde pledged on behalf of members of the committee to ensure proper book keeping, quality and timely delivery of the project. (Ends)

By Ishaq Dan-Imam, Lokoja

The Muri Governorship support group, Muri Elite Network (M.E.N), has held a training and awareness session on Youth employability and entrepreneurial skills with youths and adults in Lokoja, on Saturday.

About One hundred and thirteen youths from across the state were trained in different vocational skills such as Yoghurt making, bead-making, make-up, baking, and tailoring among other skills.
The interactive session featured presentation on behavioral change Communication, introduction to business ethics, neurolinguistic programming, and importance of regular family session to child’s upbringing and development.

Director, programmes and strategy of Muri Elite Network, Baba Abdul Bala, stressed on the importance of strategic engagement of youths to change their mindset about their ill-being with a view to changing the misconceptions and beliefs about making fortunes, while exposing the participants to the principles of business success in a competitive business environment.
Mr. Bala said the group was in the vanguard of harnessing the potential of youths for greater economic well-being.

Mr. Bala urged the participants to learn the 21st century skills especially the emerging digital skills and channel their creative minds to money making ventures by reviving their spirit of enterprise in order to become entrepreneurs, millionaires and problem solvers with innovative business solutions in Kogi state in line with the economic vision of SDP Governorship Candidate, Hon. Muritala Ajaka.

National Coordinator of the group, Mr. Anthony Idoko, said M.E.N entrepreneurship programme was aimed at reducing youth unemployment and indolence among the youth in Kogi state, as the organization plans entrepreneurship skills for ten thousand (10,000) youths with focus on vocational skills under its entrepreneurship development programme.

Mr. Idoko, who spoke on importance of creative thinking and self-reliance, said youths that were engaged in gainful economic activities with innovative business ideas have the potential to become millionaires and employers of labour in their life time.

” We are working with professionals and inspirational business leaders and experts in different walks of life to bring out the hidden business talents in youths to make them self-employed. We train the youths to embrace entrepreneurship for sustainable livelihoods, overcome low self-esteem, indolence, and poverty through out-of-the-box thinking that will lead youthful members of the group to economic prosperity.

“Our entrepreneurship mentorship Programme is an innovative ways of adding value to society and creating wealth among youths through entrepreneurship training. The Muri Elite Network, Imparts Skills to the youth in Kogi state without limitations as the organization is actively involved in economic emancipation of the youth and the downtrodden in Kogi state,” Idoko, said.

The national coordinator of (M.E.N) also used the occasion to offer voter education to the participants to reduce void votes that may occur due to wrong thumb printing on the ballot paper during voting in the upcoming Governorship election in the state. Mr. Idoko, however, gave a demonstration of ‘the right thumbprinting’ to the participants, adding that “your votes determine your future.”

The youth participants in the training interviewed, said they were psyched up with the inspirational insights of the speakers as they expressed gratitude to the organization for promoting the ideals of youth entrepreneurship in Kogi State.

Tolu Odebiyi Scholarship Foundation has provided N40m as bursary allowances to to four hundred (400) beneficiaries of the foundation in batches.

This is coming as a fulfilment of his promise to continue to provide financial assistance and his desire to create opportunities for exceptionally brilliant students from Ogun West Senatorial District to excel.

The foundation which has also been creating internship, job, and empowerment opportunities for young minds, is making available the bursary allowances promply for their 2023/24 academic year in various public tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

The beneficiaries, after receiving their scholarship thanked the Patron of the foundation, Sen. Tolu Odebiyi, CON for the invaluable support and contribution towards making their academic dreams reality. The students indicated that the bursary allowances have reduced their financial burdens.
Sen. Odebiyi who is committed to staying true with the passion of building future leaders, noted that the foundation will continue to strive hard to ensure that the students become better citizens who would be useful to themselves and the society.

The CEO of the Foundation, Mrs Folashade Odebiyi expressed gratitude to God for the enabling grace to continue with the initiative and also thanked their very supportive partners.

A beneficiary from Sawonjo Yewa North, Olubiyi Jesutofunmi Moyofanu expressed appreciation to the senator for taking care of him throughout his academic period at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye in the past five years financially and also for the gift of a Laptop that has boosted his online classes.

Ganiyat Adedoyin Akinsanya a student of Lagos State University, Ojo Lagos said, “Very few people can do the things you do, the love, care and consistency. You are so special to us. I received the bursary with thanks. Thank you, our Distinguished Ọmọlúwàbí Senator Tolu Odebiyi, CON and TOD foundation at large”.

Another beneficiary, Olusegun Ayodele Samuel from Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye said, his deepest appreciation goes to Senator Tolu Odebiyi (CON) for securing an internship for him at one of the best law firms in Nigeria.
According to him, the senator worked tirelessly to secure the internship for him even when applications had already closed. He is indeed an angel sent from God.
“Senator Tolu Odebiyi is one of the few politicians in Nigeria that gives us hope of a better country. I am eternally grateful to you and your family”.

The foundation, since 2019 has been building a mass of educated youths with morals, knowledge, expertise and mentality to move this great country forward.

The TOD Scholars as they are referred to, have recorded 68 graduates with 14 first class honors.
In addition, 20 graduates are currently serving the nation in their NYSC service year and those that have completed NYSC are employed in top tier companies including Flutterwave and Main One.