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MINISTER of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige has said he is making consultations with political leaders and would make his intentions on the 2023 presidency known by Easter.

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The minister who spoke at the Anambra office of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment in Awka at the weekend also distributed empowerment materials worth about N50 million to members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, from the three senatorial zones of the state.

Ngige said: “We’ve started political talks again. Please, give me around Easter where we’re going to have another session like this to discuss your request.

“I’m still consulting the political leaders in the country on your request. By that time I will decide, I know it’s my right to decide on that. I will take such a decision at the appropriate time.”

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A group of Anambra women led by Nancy Okafor had asked Ngige to declare for the presidency, adding that he was the right person from the South-East for the position. Okafor said, “We don’t want to wait for three months for you to decide whether to run or not, we’re mandating you to throw your hat in the ring for that position.”

Items the Minister distributed to them included generating sets, grinding machines, sewing machines, hair-dressing machines, among others.

Ngige said those empowered were trained at the skills acquisition centers at Alor in Idemili South local government area and Ifitedunu in Dunukofia local government area.

He explained that before the end of the year, the target of the party is to touch close to 3,000 people from Anambra on blue-collar jobs, adding that the party would train them well, give them the skills and empowerment so that they can employ themselves.

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He added: “We will be having a series of training after which the participants will be given certificates as graduates. When you get certificates, you will either get our empowerment or you go to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and they will then do something for you.

“Same goes for the National Directorate of Employment, NDE, which is our parastatal. NDE will start up its programmes too and you will also join the programme. These programmes are being facilitated by the Department of Skills in my ministry.

“Today’s empowerment is phase two of that programme, which is monitored by people from my ministry. This empowerment programme is for those who will use these items here to further their businesses.

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“The generators here help those who have barbing salons to increase the number of barbing salons they have. If you have one, you are starting a second one now.

“The women here who are also hairdressers, the generators will also help you in starting the second branch of your hairdressing salon; even if you’re going to combine with another person so that you can share the profits.

“This generator will make you an investor and an entrepreneur. That is empowerment. Many people misunderstand empowerment. No. it is not a dash for you to go and carry the material and sell.”

(Vanguard)