The beneficiaries, drawn from the nine local government areas in the senatorial district, participated in the training, tagged “Training of Women and Youths on Household and Domestic Products in South-West”.
The local government areas were Ibadan North; Ibadan North-East; Ibadan North-West; Ibadan South-East and Ibadan South-West.
Others included Ido, Ibarapa East, Ibarapa North and Ibarapa Central local government areas.
The training was facilitated by Senator Kola Balogun during his tenure as a lawmaker in the ninth Senate, but was delayed due to some logistic problems.
The training was conducted by the Federal Cooperative College, Oji River, Enugu State, in conjunction with Tee-Oge Royal Base Nigeria Limited.
It was held at Prince Akinremi Hall Emmanuel College of Theology Secondary School, Beside University of Ibadan First Gate, Samonda, Ibadan.
The 250 beneficiaries were given the sum of N30,000 as seed capital to put into practice what they learnt at the training programme.
The facilitator of the training, Mr Anthony Chidiomeri, said the essence of the training was to teach women and youths in the South-West, especially in Oyo South Senatorial District in soap and sanitizer making.
He said the participants would be saving a lot from their meagre resources by learning how to make the products, instead of going to the market to buy them.
He added that the training would not be beneficial only to the participants but also the people of their various communities, irrespective of their age and sex.
Mr Chidiomeri urged the participants to appreciate Senator Balogun who facilitated and insisted that the training must be done, even after he had left the Senate.
“The facilitator (Senator Kola Balogun), though no more in the Senate, has put the training into the budget before the last elections.
“You people should be grateful to the former lawmaker. He has your love at heart and he is genuinely committed to your welfare and development.
“Some other people would have facilitated something like this but keep the money to themselves since they are no longer in positions of power,” he added.
All the chairmen of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the nine local government areas in the senatorial district were present at the training programme.
Speaking on behalf of others, the APC chairman in Ibadan North Local Government Area, Honourable Taofeek Ademola Olayiwola, thanked Senator Balogun for facilitating the training programme.
“I, on behalf of other chairmen, women leaders, youth leaders and secretaries of Oyo South Senatorial District, wish to appreciate Your Distinguish over the long-awaited empowerment which eventually came up today at Samonda, Ibadan.
“Yet, outside of public office, you ensured that your promises while in office are being fulfilled one by one.
“This goes a long way to register Your Distinguished self as a rare breed politician, one of the rare best.
“The colourful event beat the imagination of every participants/ beneficiaries that despite being out of Senate, you still facilitate such a programme.
“We thank God for this attribute He uniquely bestowed on Your Distinguished self. We supplicate Him for you, for more endowment of good things- physical, spiritual and political, among others.
“We can’t thank you enough sir, than to be praying for this good God to keep you and all yours. We appreciate you immensely sir. Thanks so much sir,” Honourable Olayiwola stated.
