Warri — AS part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR), Julius Berger Services Nigeria Limited, Warri, Delta State, yesterday said it spent over N7.2 million in training sixty-six (66) Ijaw and Itsekiri youths in various skills acquisition programmes to foster harmonious working relationship in the state.

This comes as Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Forcados Export Terminal, has disbursed N3.2 million to twelve Ijaw youths in its first ever organised, Special Live-Wire award as take-off grant to enable them put into practice various skills acquired through an intensive training program-me to make life more meaningful to them

The youths, who were sponsored for between 1-2 years each, acquired requisite skills in crane operation, electrical installa-tion, welding and fabrication and computer appreciation courses.

Presenting the certificates of proficiency to the qualified trainees at the company's premises in Warri, Mrs. Maureen Edhere, the company's Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) officer, stated that the youths had been trained to become self-employed with sustaina-ble means of livelihood, even as they charged them to put their acquired skills to profitable use to make the company proud.

Similarly, Shell Petroleum Development Company also disbursed N3.2 million to 12 Ijaw youths to enable them put into practice the skills they had acquired through a special training programme. The twelve youths, compri-sing male and female, were drawn from both Ogulagha and Odimodi communities that play host to the SPDC export terminal in riverine Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State.

Speaking during the award ceremony, the company's Forcados Terminal Installa-tion Manager, Mr. Moses Agara said the "Live Wire award is a Shell global community initiative laun-ched in Nigeria in 2003 to encourage young people to start their own business and consider self-employment as a desirable career option".

Agara charged the beneficiaries of the awards to put the funds into judicious use and be good ambassa-dors of the SPDC Live Wire special awards.

In another development, the Itsekiri Consultative Forum (ICF) has restated its support for Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan's and any administration in the state for that matter, provided it does not mortgage the collective interest and future of Itsekiri people and nation.

President of ICF, Chief Adolor Okotie-Eboh, a scion of the First Republic Finance Minister, Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh made this remark, weekend, during the first year anniversary celebration of ICF held at the PK Pub, Esisi road, Warri.

He said those branding them as anti-Uduaghan were mischief makers out to cause disaffection for their personal gains, saying that they were prepared to carry the Itsekiri struggle to any height required for their survival and called on Itsekiris to support them in order to achieve their noble and lofty dream.

Earlier in his keynote address, the chairman of the occasion, Chief Hope Harriman, represented by Mr. Edward Ekpoko, stated that almost all the big and recognized groups in Itsekiri land have lost their bearing to become mere social gathering committed only to the welfare of their members, jettisoning the larger Itsekiri interest which, in the main, was their stated objectives.

Chief Harriman, who scored the Itsekiri Leaders of Thought (ILOT) very high as the only reliable and genuine group in the pursuit of the peoples' interest at all cost, urged the ICF to emulate and join forces with the ILOT to move the Itsekiri nation from it rudderless drift to the abyss to an enviable height.