By Akpokona Omafuaire
WARRI - HIS Eminence, Papa Ayo Oritsejafor, popular cleric and founder of Word of Life Bible Church, Papa Ayo Oritsejafor yesterday doled out N65 million in the 15th edition of his yearly poverty alleviation programme.
Pastor Ayo while addressing 767 beneficiaries at the event said emphasis on "dignity in labour" will encourage hard work across the society.
The former CAN President also cautioned Nigerians against voting for failed politicians who give money in exchange for their votes.
He urged Nigerians to be proud of any honest job they are doing for living.
According to him, "We must in this nation begin to reemphasize the dignity of labour. People must be proud to rather be a groundnut seller, than beg people for transport. I admire young ladies, some of them under the sun at some strategic junctions, who instead of selling their bodies, get people to use the PoS machines and get a little commission out of it.
"If you are making N5 be proud of it. You are better than a thief who makes N1 million a day and is worth nothing. Don't look down on yourself.
"When politicians come and give you N2,000 to vote for them, don't vote for them. Since they didn't come near you, now they want your fake vote. They are still going to rig the election, but they want your fake votes, so they give you N2,000, N5,000, one-quarter bag of rice, salt and so on.
"What I am trying to tell you is be proud of who you are. Whatever you can do for yourself, do it. The token plus what we have tried to teach you is so you can get something doing. Be proud of it. We want to take girls off the brothels. We want to take people off the streets," the cleric charged.
He further encouraged them to be innovative in the different skills acquired.
Governor of Delta state, represented by the executive secretary of the Delta State Technical and Vocational Education Board, Engr. Smart Nkem, said the programme aligns with one of the cardinal objectives of the State Government, which is to empower people.
He urged the beneficiaries to seek further training, as the essence of the training and empowerment is to make them entrepreneurs, to become self-sufficient, self-reliant, employable and deployable.
Okowa called on other churches to emulate the gesture as it will help "reduce crime and youths restiveness" in the society.
Director of Microbusiness Empowerment Programme, Pastor Okeoghene Obiegbedi, disclosed that the programme kicked off in December 2005, with an average cost of N30 million per edition.
He listed other humanitarian gestures by the cleric and the church to include scholarships to over 1,918 indigent students to study in Nigerian Universities and polytechnics, donation of motorcycles, tricycles, new cars, grinding and sewing machines among others.
The 2021/2022 edition of the programme which is the 15th one, is targeted to empower 1,100 individuals with N55,000 each, totalling N60.5 million.
The beneficiaries who are members of the church passed through a one-month "discipleship training" and were "screened and trained in different trades and skills" such as drying of fresh fish, catering, shoemaking, soap making tailoring and others.
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