The management of Calabar Port on Thursday gave out various empowerment items to no fewer than 50 youths from Obutong community in Calabar Municipality Local Government Area of Cross River.
The Calabar Port Manager, Mrs Marie Asein, explained that the empowerment was part of Corporate Social Responsibility to the port’s host communities.
“It is the way of life of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to be closely related to the host communities in which they operate,’’ she said.
According to her, the current situation in the country has made employment of indigenes of the host communities difficult in the port’s facilities, hence the need for the empowerment.
She said that Calabar Port had been doing a lot in the area of employment, sensitisation and upgrading of infrastructure in the host communities.
“This is just one of many of such programmes and we will continue to do more to guarantee a peaceful atmosphere in our operational base,” Asein said.
She advised the recipients to take advantage of the tools provided for them to develop themselves instead of waiting for white collar jobs.
“I advise you to be committed to whatever you choose to do with the tools. Do not sell them, we are giving them to you to make you self-reliant,’` she said.
The items given include sewing machines, clippers, generators, make-up kits, fruit mixers and vulcanising machines.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mr Esor Archibong, a barber, thanked the Calabar Port management for the gesture.
“On behalf of myself and my co-beneficiaries, I thank you so much for this gesture.
“God will bless you and I am assuring the Calabar Port management that we will make use of these tools to better our lives, ” he said.
Earlier, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Community Development, Mrs Josephine Eni, said the state government was ready to partner with the Calabar Port in its quest to develop the youths and the host communities.
She said that Gov. Ben Ayade’s administration had many youth development programmes and called on other corporate organisations in the state to emulate the Calabar Portnan.
