The governorship of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State, Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has implored matriculants of the DESOPADEC Skills Academy to strive hard to touch their dreams.

Oborevwori, who is also the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, said they were living in the most advanced moments of the world today, where technology, exceptional and quality skills are dictating the pace of progress of individuals and nation.

The PDP governorship candidate said this at the matriculation ceremony of the 4th Stream of DESOPADEC Skills Academy held at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) Conference Centre Effurun on Tuesday.

He said: “Today, you have been given the platform and opportunity by the DESOPADEC Skills Academy to acquire relevant skills and knowledge to re-invent yourself and change the world with your skills and knowledge, because the world is yours to conquer. So, touch your dreams.

“I want to therefore specially congratulate you for being selected from the thousands of youths who applied for this programme. I must add that you all are highly privileged to be admitted into the DESOPADEC Skills Academy.

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“You must be reminded that this is a privilege and not a right. Therefore, as you begin this noble journey of acquiring new skill set, you must be focused and determined to prove yourself in your studies, both in theories and praticals to justify your admission into this prestigious Skills Academy.”

Oborevwori, who was the Chairman of the matriculation ceremony, stressed the high premium the Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa’ places on skills acquisition programmes as exemplified at the state level by programmes as YAGEP, GEST among others, adding: “It is within this context that I want to particularly thank the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of DESOPADEC, Bashorun Askia Ogieh and his management team for the setting up and the smooth running of the DESOPADEC Skills Academy.

“Without second-guessing, DESOPADEC management mission with this programme is to complement what His Excellency, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa is doing at the state level, which is to empower our youths with cutting edge skills and create opportunities for serial entrepreneurs across board.”

On his part, the Managing Director of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, Askia Ogieh, said: “At DESOPADEC we derive great joy in this programme because it is a platform for the mobilisation and galvanisation of our people into not just skilled, productive and economically independent persons, but an army of entrepreneurs and employers of labour who in their different clusters are already making a difference in the economic and commercial life of our communities.”

He said the DESOPADEC Skills Academy was adapted from the vision and commitment to human capital development of Governor Okowa “by which Delta State, more than any other state in Nigeria, has retrained, equipped and empowered over 20,000 constituents in various vocations and entrepreneurship. Launched in 2020 in which we matriculated 157 trainees in the first batch, the programme has grown from strength to strength.”

The Star