The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Abayomi Olonisakin has averred that skill acquisition and vocational training will guide against crimes and youths restiveness in the country.
According to General Olonisakin, “training of unemployed women and youths in vocational skills will reduce the rising wave of unemployment and will guide against crimes and youth restiveness.”
The CDS made this disclosure during the graduation of batch 9 trainees of the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA) Skills Acquisition Centre in Abuja.
The CDS who was represented by the Deputy Director, Defence Civil-Military Cooperation, Brigadier General Efe Edafiogbor, commended DEPOWA for embarking on numerous human development activities in 2020, particularly, empowerment of widows of fallen heroes, unemployed women and youths in the barracks.
Others were provision of scholarship to orphans of military fallen heroes, humanitarian visit to orphanage and less privileged homes, as well as distribution of palliative during the first wave of COVID:19 pandemic.
The Defence Chief reiterated that the commitment of the Armed Forces towards providing DEPOWA with needed support to enable the association achieve its objective of serving humanities will continue. This will assist DEPOWA in brining succor to the vulnerable and less privileged in the barracks communities and the society as a whole.
Gen Olonisakin, while urging the graduands to leverage on the skills they have acquired, the starter packs and cash donations they received from DEPOWA, tasked them to be self reliant, industrious and innovative in their future endeavours so as to contribute to the economic prosperity of our society and the nation at large.
Earlier in her welcome address, the President of DEPOWA, Dr. Mrs Omobolanle Olonisakin stated that importance of acquiring vocational skills was further brought to the fore in view of Coronavirus pandemic that brought untold hardship to many people by weakening their economic base.
The DEPOWA President disclosed that a total of 382 students, out of which 136 widows and 14 vulnerable youths had graduated from the DEPOWA Skills Acquisition Centre since its inception.
Dr Olonisakin disclosed further that 12 widows of fallen heroes were among the 39 graduating students. She reiterated that DEPOWA will always prioritize the welfare and well-being of widows and vulnerable dependants of the nation’s military fallen heroes in the society.
Dr Mrs Olonisakin, while addressing the graduands, enjoined them to know that they have been groomed to secure a brighter future and to be employers of labour.
She explained that aside the starter packs, the 12 widows among them will be given enhanced financial assistance to enable them secure a shop. She expressed the Association’s appreciation to the CDS, Service Chiefsi, Inspector General of Police and Commandants of tri-service military training Institutions for their encouragement and moral support.
The various vocational skills acquired by the graduands during months of intensive training include: Fashion Designing, Cosmetology (Make-up and Gele Tying), Computer Studies, Catering and Hotel Management, among others.
