The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has donated goods and items to over 200 people at Umuoziri Inyisi in Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo state as part of its corporate social responsibility initiative, geared towards equipping Nigerian youths with vocational skills that create wealth and support livelihood.
Speaking at the presentation of the items, Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Hadiza Bala Usman, who was represented by a Principal Manager, Corporate/Strategic Communication in the organisation, Ikechukwu Onyemekara, expressed the institution’s unwavering commitment to positively impact lives and give back to society.
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‘’The Nigerian Ports Authority is the regulatory body for all the ports in Nigeria and as a federal government agency, the authority is deliberate about contributing to the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to drastically reduce the number of people who live in abject poverty in our country. The presentation we are having is in furtherance of this determination.
‘’I am hopeful that these items, which include electrical grinding machines, sewing machines and hand grinding machines will go a long way in putting food on the table for people in the community.
“We also hope that once beneficiaries get to work with these items, they would be able to take care of the basic needs of life that were hitherto problematic,’’ Usman stated.
She noted that NPA is particularly, interested in the empowerment of women and the youth giving the importance of the assistance that they can give to the upbringing of children and the maintenance of families while in the case of the youth, it is important that they have some work at hand at every material time so as not be tempted to engage in anti-social activities.
The NPA chief executive added that ‘’The authority has taken particular note of people with skills and those without skills. This is why we have sewing machines, which will be distributed to people who have learned the trade. The grinding machines are meant for women and youths who have not acquired these skills.’’
Usman congratulated the beneficiaries and urged them to make judicious use of the items because ‘’we have had instances of people who sell the items given to them immediately after handover; I want to appeal that you do not do this.
“On the contrary, please hold on to your items and make the best use of them to assist in keeping your families and community together.”
Traditional ruler of Inyisi Autonomous Community, Andrew Osuji, applauded the NPA for initiating such a laudable programme to benefit the youths of the community.
The visibly excited monarch also urged the beneficiaries to make appropriate use of the items
Earlier, the President-General of the community, Richard Ihejirika, thanked the Managing Director of the NPA, Hadiza Bala Usman, for the wonderful gesture to the people of his community.
He stated that “from all indications, it is like God visited the community in the likeness of man to liberate the people of the community from poverty and destitution.”
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