BY OLUWATOSIN IGHOTEGUONO
Ondo State Deputy Governor, Mr Lucky Ayedatiwa has Iauded the BEMORE empowered initiative for capacity building for girls.
Mr Ayedatiwa gave the commendation while declaring open the 2022 BEMORE summer boot camp, an InItIatIve of the Wife of the ondo state governor, Mrs Betty Anyanwu Akeredolu to empower young girls which was held at Mabest College, Akure.
The deputy governor said the initiative would help the new generation of girls to build capacity in ICT, solar energy and the advancement of STEM saying that government would continue to create enabling environment for girls and women to thrive.
In an address, Mrs Anyanwu -Akeredolu said BEMORE was aimed at exposing the girl child to the global world and make them compete favorably with their counterparts worldwide.
She noted that BEMORE groomed girls as a special breed without greed adding that such would prevent them from joining bad gangs which could eventually derail them in life.
Mrs Anyanwu -Akeredolu stressed that trainning the girl child was not a waste and appealed to the society to stop relegating the girl child.
“We set out, in 2017, to give to this generation of women opportunities that my own generation lacked; to plug the widened and widening gender parity gap in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Entrepreneurship (STEM+E) by empowering young Nigerian girls in critical areas of science and technology as we create opportunities to improve on their lives and contribute to the socio-economic
development of their respective communities”.
The Special guest of honour, the Orangun of Oke ila in Osun state, Oba Adedokun Abolarin who maintained that empowering girls would go a long way in developing the nation harped on sustaining the legacy after the present government.
Chairman of the occasion, Chief Olusola Oke was delighted that BEMORE would make the girls self reliant and fill gaps in the educational policy of ondo state.
Chief Oke said capacity intiative will now bridge the gap between having degrees and having technical education calling on ondo state government to invest more in the programme.
Also speaking, the state commissioner for information and orientation, Mrs Bamidele Ademola-Olateju said the programme had spoken well of itself as it had produced reasonable number of girls who have benefitted more in the area of ICT since 2017.
In a goodwill message, a PDP Chieftain, Senator Bode Olajumoke who described the BEMORE program as a positive program which goes beyond politics and called for its sustenance.
The vice chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Prof Adenike Oladiji who pleaded with government at all levels to give issues that concerns the girl child and women a listening ear lauded the first lady’s intiative at empowering the girl child in the state.
In an interview, the General Manager, Radio Nigeria, Positive FM, Akure , Mrs Olubunmi Olalere commended the initiative of the governor’s wife and urged parents to key into the opportunity of sending their ward to the boot camp especially during the current holiday to broaden their knowledge.
Sharing their BEMORE experiences, Miss Boluwatife Yusuf, Taiwo Oniyere and Similoluwa Ojekhoa said the intiative had trained them to become great as they can now invent solar machines and give back to the society.
In a presentation on human trafficking and security, Desk officer, Anti Human Trafficking of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC in Ondo state , DSC Yemi Agbede who frowned at the level of child trafficking in the state explained that youths were easily lured due to the level of unemployment and poverty in the society
DSC Agbede while noting that NSCDC had played a major role at reducing trafficking in persons in the state however called on people to call the NSCDC on any tip on trafficking in their area through *627# or 07030000203 to save victims.
The Female squad of the Nigerian Security and civil defence corp, NSCDC also used the opportunity to train the girl on taking precautionary measures when there is danger and gun shot.
The NDLEA also made a presentation on drug Abuse charging people especially youths to avoid taking hard substances
In her vote of thanks, senior special assistant on gender research and documentation to Mrs Akeredolu, Mrs Tope Daniyan while appreciating all the sponsors charged the girls to explore all opportunities during the programme