By; BALA B. BITRUS, Minna.
Niger State Government has sent 30 women on an international skill acquisition in Istanbul, Turkey.
But the gesture is however drawing condemnation from critics and opponents of the administration in the state who criticized the government for sponsoring the women to Turkey for skills acquisition training that are available at home.
The women selected from the 25 councils in the state were trained in beads making, tailoring, toy making for children, ceramics making, baking skills and fashion designing.
Critics are saying that the exercise was a total waste of public resources even as they asked for the rational in sponsoring 30 women to acquire skills that are readily available in the country.
Governor Bello had while receiving reports from four different committees including the group that went on skills acquisition training in Istanbul, led by Barrister Amina Musa Guar, commended his administration’s bold initiations in empowering women to acquire qualitative skills and knowledge in Turkey.
The state Ministry of Investments, Commerce and Cooperatives facilitated the training of the 30 women in different skills.
Although the state Commissioner for Investment, Commerce and Cooperatives, Hajiya Ramatu Yar’Adua could not say just how much was spent on the training, some citizens said the skills acquisition training tour was politically motivated to grease the palms of cronies and the ruling party’s foot soldiers.
