By Femi Ogunshola
Rep. Sam Onuigbo (APC-Abia), says he has empowered over 500 unemployed members of his constituency through training on poultry farming and cash grant to make them self-reliant.
Onuigbo, who represents Ikwuano/Umuahia North and South Federal Constituency, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.
He said poultry farming was one in the series of empowerments and training he considered for his constituents, naming others to include motor mechanic and fashion designing.
“I have trained people in other skills like fashion designing and motor mechanics, I have trained and supported many people and I have empowered others with stills like fish farming with needed support,” he said.
According to him, the poultry empowerment is today one of the most successful.
“When I go home, they come to me to show that they have been taken off the radar of unemployment. We have to increase the number of the beneficiaries because of the successes we have recorded and this is well over 500 and they are in batches.
“However, when they finish, we usually provide them with stipends that they can use to start their own.
“To those who learn the poultry, a lot of them have made progress and have added more birds, while others who sold theirs are today regretting their action,” Onuigbo said.
He said he was happy to have impacted on many lives in his constituency, saying that impacting positively on people’s lives was a source of motivation to so more.(NAN)