Omega Power Ministries (OPM) trains no fewer than 10,000 people on different vocational skills, as part of efforts to reduce unemployment in the country.
By Emmanuel Afonne
The Omega Power Ministries (OPM), says it has trained no fewer than 10,000 people on different vocational skills, as part of efforts to reduce unemployment in the country, as the world battles Coronavirus pandemic.
Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere, founder of the Church, said this on Wednesday, in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Chinyere said the Church had also established a skill acquisition centre in Port Harcourt, to train more youths to become self-reliant.
The OPM founder also said that the skills acquisition centre was established, bearing in mind the high level of unemployment and hunger in the society.
According to him, the training, which will last for a year, will also accommodate persons of other faith and cuts across all Christian denominations.
“We started in Abia State with a free hospital and free school, then Rivers, and by the grace of God, a lot of less privileged women have been accessing free medical and antenatal care.
“The skills acquisition centre, named after Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers, is a place where we train people – men and women for industries and companies to come and pick them.
“Our centre is certified by the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
“We have trained over 10,000 youths in the last five years and some have gotten jobs both locally and internationally, while some have been employed to train others,” Chinyere said.
He further said that the centre, unarguably the “biggest” in the country, was constructed and equipped with funds from offerings and tithes of the Church members.
He urged government to give priority to education to discourage youths from crime, adding that many had repented from criminal activities and had decided to acquire skills as a source of livelihood.
“Most of these youths take to crime because of idleness; an idle mind is the devil’s workshop, so we use this avenue to bring them out of crime.
“We recently recovered from these men and women, who are determined to shun evil lifestyle and turn a new leaf, three sophisticated weapons, magazines with ammunition, bullet proof jackets and police uniforms.
“The recovered items have been handed over to the anti cult squad, while the repented men and women have started their rehabilitation at the skills acquisition centre.
Explaining further, the cleric said: “One must have the basic knowledge of what he or she wants to do before admission for training.
“And because people are many, we organise a test for them to reduce the number and then select the first 200 people that pass the exam.
“We train people in furniture, tailoring, scaffolding, pipeline welding, health safety, oil well drilling, argon drilling, generator repair, marine engineering, paint production, pipe fitting, computer and so on.”
He said that all safety measures were being followed to keep the place safe from Coronavirus, noting that only 200 trainees were allowed at a time in spite of the huge space that could take 500 people.
NAN reports that OPM has also constructed 15 free schools located in Abia, Rivers, Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom states, as well as two free hospitals in Ohanku Ndoki in Abia, and Aluu in Rivers.
The Church has also constructed free estate and restaurant in Port Harcourt for the less privileged. (NAN)
