By CHARLES IWUOHA

The Senator representing Ebonyi South Senatorial District, Distinguished Senator Michael Ama Nnachi, has trained a total of 200 students on capacity building and innovation in science and mathematics as part of his constituency project.

Senator Nnachi also distributed educational and instructional materials, including the ear model, kidney model, skeleton model, teeth model, blood vessel model, and other learning kits to the various participating schools to enhance their academic performance in science and innovation.

The training was done in conjunction with the National Mathematics Center and held in Ebonyi Hotel on Thursday, December 8, 2022 in Afikpo North Local Government Area of the State.

The students, who were drawn from 40 schools across the five Local government areas of Ebonyi South Senatorial District were taught lessons on human anatomy, engineering and technology, among others.

Senator Nnachi commended the teachers of the various schools for their efforts in nurturing the students and urged them to make judicious use of the materials.

He emphasized the need for secondary school students to embrace mathematics and science to enable them to function in the highly competitive innovation world.

“I highly commend the teachers of the various schools represented here for their contributions to quality education in Ebonyi South, and I urge them to continue with the good works and secure these items to enhance learning," he said.

The Senator, who was represented by the Hon. Lilian Ezuilo, member representing Afikpo North East Constituency in the state House of Assembly said the gesture would continue as a means of ensuring that students received good education in the senatorial district.

While assessing the distribution of instructional materials, Engr Agada Sunday, a representative of the Hon. Minister for Special Duties and Governmental Affairs, Senator Gorge Akume, said the exercise was in line with the current administration's policy to improve science and innovation in the country.

“My assessment so far is that Senator Ama Nnachi has done a great job here, with the practical sessions and demonstrations in biology, it would help the students to be conversant with science, technology and innovation, which is part of the policy of the current administration,” he explained.

One of the resource persons, a member of the National Mathematical Center, Abuja, Dr. Festus Smart, commended the Senator for his contributions towards the learning of Mathematics and science in the state.

He said the mathematical and science items would serve as instructional materials in the course of teaching and learning for secondary school students.

Also speaking, Mr. Philip Longa, the Desk Officer of the project from the National Mathematical Center, described the Senator as a politician that has the interest of his people at heart.

He expressed confidence that the schools and teachers would utilize the items and enhance their learning.

Some of the beneficiary students, including Lawrence Confidence Chinecherem of Destiny Kids International School, Ishiagu, Chibueke Sunday, Amasiri Secondary School and Mba John Alom of Government Secondary School, Afikpo, who spoke on behalf of others, commended the Senator for initiating the training, while pledging to reciprocate the gesture in their academic performance.

In a related development, Senator Nnachi has empowered 100 youths, men and women across the five Local Government Areas of his Constituency for self-reliance.

This came following a five-day intensive training of the beneficiaries on capacity building and entrepreneurship education on business development and management held at Ebonyi Hotels in Afikpo North Local Government Area, in conjunction with the National Productivity Center

Senator Nnachi also gave out the sum of over N5 million naira as seed capital to the beneficiaries, to enable them to start various businesses they have learned.

The lawmaker who was represented at the event by Hon Obinna Agha, his Legislative Aide, said the exercise was meant to empower some youths, men, and women of the district towards attaining economic self-sustainability.

“What we did today was to train some people on entrepreneurship education on business development and management.

“After the training, the participants were given the sum of N50.000 each as seed money to enable them to start their businesses,” he said.

He noted that Sen. Nnachi has been empowering his people for self-reliance from his beginning days at the National Assembly, adding “we believe that this would help the people to be self-empowered”.

He explained that the Senator has attracted various projects and empowerment programmes to his constituency, maintaining that the enator would continue to deliver quality representation to his people.

“We had, before now, provided basic equipment for those who learned one skill or the other in our previous training.

“These people were selected from various wards across Ebonyi South, we have more trainings and empowerments to come," he assured.

The State Coordinator, National Productivity Center, Enugu office, Mr. Ifeanyi Atusiuba, earlier urged the beneficiaries to apply the skills they acquired to good use to further better their lives.

“I urge the participants to make good use of the money given to them to enable them to start their businesses, no matter how small. This is because no amount is small or big in starting a business, depending on how you handle it.

“The emphasis now is entrepreneurship and self-reliance. The federal government tries to build skills, especially in the rural areas for them to be able to establish businesses on their own. The empowerment is also for them to seek money to be able to establish something from the empowerment.

“The participants should always take this seriously; it shouldn't always be a matter of coming to collect their national cake. They should put to use whatever they have been taught,” he explained.

Some of the participants, including Hon. Mrs. Oko Ukachi Gladys from Afikpo North LGA, Ideyi Chukamso Bethrand, Ohaozra, Mrs Okereke Charity, Onicha, Edward Chima Chinedu, Afikpo South and Engr Aroh Chukwu Samuel, Ivo LGA, who were excited after receiving the seed money, thanked Senator Ama Nnachi for organizing the training to engage them positively.

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