By Egufe Yafugborhi
UYO – Two hundred pioneer graduates of the Dakkada Skills Acquisition Center (DASAC), a vocational training program sponsored by the Akwa Ibom State Government, have denied receiving the N20,000 monthly stipend Governor Umo Eno claimed was allocated to them during their six-month training.
At the graduation ceremony held at the DASAC base in Ikot Ada Idem, Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area, Governor Eno confidently announced that the trainees had received financial support throughout their program. However, he was met with an unexpected public rebuttal, as the supposed beneficiaries loudly refuted his claim.
The moment of embarrassment came when the governor stated, “The state sponsored the first 200 trainees with a twenty-thousand-naira monthly stipend paid to each trainee.” His statement was immediately drowned out by the trainees’ collective response of “No! No! No!”
In response, a visibly displeased Governor Eno attempted to reassure them, saying: “I’m sure some of you have started receiving your alerts already, but if you are certain you haven’t, between now and Tuesday, you will all get it. If you don’t, just send me a text.”
Officials at DASAC have yet to explain why the stipends were not disbursed while the training lasted. Meanwhile, another batch of 40 trainees, who privately sponsored themselves, paid a N250,000 fee covering accommodation, training kits, and other expenses, excluding feeding.
Graduates from the program acquired skills in: Agriculture, Hospitality and Lifestyle Management, Metal and Steel Fabrication, Wood Technology, ICT and General Entrepreneurship.
Governor Eno assured the graduates that some of them would be employed in various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of the state government, while others would receive starter packs and seed funding to establish their own businesses.
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