By Ahmad Umar
Gombe (Nigeria)–A member of the House of Representatives from Kaltungo/Shongom Constituency in Gombe State Northeast of the country, Fatima Binta Bello has trained 640 women in various trades in the four local government areas that made up the constituency.
Each of the trainees was also given N20,000 as take-off grant for their businesses.
 The Lawmaker made the donation on Friday during the graduation ceremony of the trainees at her Women Empowerment and Community Development programme held at the Kaltungo township stadium.
She said that the beneficiaries who were selected from across her constituency as well as the neighbouring Billiri and Balanga Local Government Areas, underwent training in seven different skills, soap, detergent, shampoo, room freshener, pomade and curry making.
Fatima Bello emphasized that the vocational training was an added advantage, economically in carrying out their marital responsibilities.
She therefore urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the take-off grant and to extend their hands to their neighbours by training them also.
“Don’t let me down. I will not be happy if I later learned you have abandoned your business,” she pleaded .
Earlier in a remark, Daniel Entonu of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Abuja, who is the Coordinator of the programme, said the training was part of the Lawmaker’s constituency project executed by the IPCR in collaboration with the Federal Government.
Entonu said there is a link between empowerment, community development and peace, stressing that if people are provided with something to do, “they will have no time for violence.”
He observed that the programme would go a long way towards building peace in the area, urging the beneficiaries to fully utilize their training.
One of the beneficiaries, Mary Agabus, expressed gratitude for the opportunity giving to her to start a business of her own.
“With my training and the money giving to me, I will go home and start my business. I can now feed and pay the school fees of my children,” she said.
She commended Binta Bello for affording them the opportunity to become useful to not only themselves but their community.
