Ebonyi to establish mentorship programme for unemployed graduates
The Ebonyi state government has announced plans to start a mentorship programme that will tackle graduate unemployment in the state.
State governor, David Umahi, made this known during a service to mark the 10th year diocesan anniversary and the foundation stone laying of Basilica of Grace Cathedral Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion, in Afikpo on Sunday.
Umahi, in a statement on Tuesday by his Chief Press Secretary, Emma Anya, explained that the programme which would also be of great benefit to the church, would take off with 39 civil engineers.
The governor urged the church to preach the importance of hard work to their faithful to enhance their dignity.
He said, “there is a programme we want to start in Ebonyi state. By April, we want to start a mentorship programme. We want to start first with civil engineers because I am civil engineer. We will be calling for three people in each of the 13 local government areas of the state, who are graduate and don’t have anything doing.
“We want to start a small recreation course for them. We bring people all over the country. and also expatriates to train them for one year.
“They will visit sites and they will also be working on construction sites. After one year, we will deploy them in three companies. We will buy bulldozers, graders and concrete mixers for their companies.”
Umahi, who pointed out that a true Christian must imbibe the spirit of hard work and honesty, observed that it was not wise for people to depend on politics as their only source of livelihood.
He appealed to the Anglican Communion followers to cue into the agricultural programme of his administration.
The governor also said that Afikpo would be given a facelift in line with his administration’s ongoing Urban Renewal Policy, adding that work will commence on Afikpo Uwana road next week.
“Afikpo remains our next target in terms of our urban renewal. So, we have started the dualization of the road from Amuro to Eke market.
Umahi, who unveiled the drawing plan for the new cathedral commended the church for undertaking the gigantic project at this period of economic recession, stressing that this is the period bold leaders should stand up in defence of the church of Jesus Christ.
“I see leaders who stand up in defence of the church of Jesus Christ and Anglican Church is one of them,” he said.
The primate of Anglican communion, Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh, commended Umahi for being a supporter of the church and for his administration’s developmental programmes, especially in the area of road construction.
