….. Akinruntan Appoints 10 Aides
In his avow intention to reduce poverty and unemployment rate among his constituents, the Deputy Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. (Prince) Abayomi Babatunde Akinruntan at the weekend flagged off his annual Skill Acquisition Programme where hundreds of indigenes of Ilaje local government area are being empowered.
The empowerment programme carried out under the lawmaker’s ABA Foundation, was held on 1st July, 2023 at Olugbo Palace, GRA, Igbokoda, in Ilaje Local Government Area of the State.
This is just Rt. Hon. Akinruntan appointed 10 party’s faithful and youths as Special Advisers and Special Assistants in a bid to give room for all-inclusive representation.
Addressing beneficiaries, party leaders and prominent dignitaries who witnessed the opening ceremony, the Deputy Speaker who representing Ilaje state constituency 1 and doubles as the President/Founder of ABA Foundation, said beneficiaries would be trained in various entrepreneurship skill acquisition programmes such as fashion designing, hair dressing, aluminium fabrication, welding among others.
Prince Akinruntan noted that considering the unpredictable economic situation of the country and devastating unemployment rate, hence the decision to be carrying out the empowerment programmes every year for Ilaje indigenes in order to take them out of poverty line through reliable means of livelihood.
The lawmaker opined that, “ABA 2023/2024 Skill Acquisition Training has therefore been structured to focus on entrepreneurship, expected to kindle the productive tendencies and potentials of the trainees while building on the available resources to frontally address unemployment as a core social challenge.
“Unequivocally, ABA Foundation has trained hundreds in Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency and most of the beneficiaries of this life-changing programme are graduates. They have established private firms to live independently,” the Deputy Speaker said.
In a remark, the Executive Chairman of Ilaje Local Government, Hon. Goke Jatuwase, represented by the Council’s Secretary Dr Bayo Shegede, underscored the significant positive impacts the lawmaker through ABA Foundation had played in lives of many Ilaje youths over the years.
While noting the giant strides of ABA Foundation, Jatuwase implored Rt Hon Akinruntan to use his ABA Foundation to partner with OSOPADEC and NDDC to further reach out and provide succour for the less privileged in the oil-rich Ilaje area.
The Director General, ABA Campaign Council, Hon. Olumide Mekuleyi building on the words of some leaders Hon. Samson Ewajane and Hon. Enikansaye Adewale during presentation of letters to trainees and facilitators, appreciated the President of ABA Foundation, urging beneficiaries trainees to pay maximum attention to facilitators to hasten their learning of the skills.
On the appointment of new Special Advisers, Special Assistants and Personal Assistant (PA) for quality representation, Rt. Hon. Abayomi Akinruntan enjoined them to discharge their responsibilities diligently for the benefit of the wards in Ilaje constituency 1.
The Appointees are; Hon. Taiwo Ikuyelorimi – SA Political; Shola Ebun-Oluwa – SA Media & Publicity; Isaiah Omosuyi Oki – SA Youth & Students Affairs; Hon. Luro Olaoluwa Israel – PA Special Duties, Ugbo 1; Obebe Igbekele Michael – PA Special Duties, Ugbo 2; Ayadi Igbamidara Sunday – PA Special Duties, Ugbo 3; Abejoye Kolawole – PA Special Duties, Ugbo 4; Saanumi Ola Lucky – PA Special Duties, Ugbo 5; Ebiwonjumi Olorunwa Smart – PA Special Duties, Ugbo 6 and Segun Joy Ikuesan – PA Gender Matters.