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 the coronavirus pandemic.
Founder of the church, Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere, said this on Wednesday in a telephone interview with newsmen.
Chinyere said the church had also established a skill acquisition centre in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to train more youths to become self-reliant.
The OPM founder also said that the skill acquisition centre was constructed having considered the high level of unemployment and hunger in the society.
He noted that the training was absolutely free of charge for persons from different religions and denominations with duration of one year.
“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 treatment there and also to deliver their babies.
“The skill acquisition centre named after Governor 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 skill acquisition centre was constructed and equipped with funds from offering and tithes of the church members.
He urged government to give priority to education to discourage youths from crime, adding that many have repented from committing crime to learn a skill.
Chinyere added: “Most of these youths take to crime because of idleness; an idle man 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 lifestyles 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.
“One must have the basic knowledge of what he or she wants to do before admission for training.
“And because there are many people, we organise a test for them to reduce the number, and then select the first 200 people that passed 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 of coronavirus, noting that only 200 trainees were allowed at a time in spite of the huge space that could take 500 people.
It would be recalled that OPM had 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, Rivers.
The church has also constructed a free estate and restaurant in Port Harcourt for the less privileged.
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