Craftsmen at Aba, Abia State as well as traders at Onitsha, Anambra State should get prepared to receive new apprentices from Ekiti State.

This is being promoted as a bid by the Ekiti State government to ensure that Ekiti youths are trained to be self-reliant and look beyond government patronage, and to also prove that, aside education, developing unskilled Ekiti youths does not warrant only sending them overseas for training.

The idea was floated by Hon. (Dr.) STB Omotoso, Ekiti State House of Assembly Member-elect (Oye 1 Constituency, PDP) during a courtesy visit by Ekiti State Assembly Members-elect to the corporate head office of Vanguard Media Ltd, Kirikiri, Apapa, Lagos, on Wednesday last week.

Hon. Omotosho, while condemning critics of Gov. Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State for their criticisms of what has come to be termed “stomach infrastructure”, said such criticisms give the concept a narrow definition as it goes beyond giving gifts of bags of rice and other foodstuff to voters to influence their choice.

“Stomach infrastructure is narrowly defined by critics of Governor Fayose”, Hon. Omotosho said. “It is not all about just feeding people or giving gifts to people. If one should expatiate on the concept, it entails providing the people not only with the basic necessities of life after election, but also empowering them by making them self-reliant, with the best education and training and then giving them employment, which the Fayose government is presently engaged in.”

Speaking further, the lawmaker-elect said the Ekiti State government did not need to waste scarce resources sending Ekiti unskilled youths to Europe or America for training. “Instead, they could be sent to Aba to learn how to make shoes and bags, and to Onitsha to master trade; while those who are qualified and competent will be given local contracts. This is the concept behind the so-called ‘stomach infrastructure’ and not just distributing gift items. Stomach infrastructure goes on after election. It is about helping the poor. It is about engaging them in what can feed them earn a living. That’s what Fayose wants to continue doing. He needs stability to achieve for no progress can be made during crisis. We have had enough crisis and we want peaqce in our state.”

Aba, well known for its handicrafts, is reputed for its handmade shoes and handbags. It is also a major manufacturing and trading centre in South-Eastern Nigeria, with its Ariaria International Market as the largest market in West Africa, seconded by the Onitsha Main Market.

And Onitsha is known for its trading, where the average traders are known to bring in at least six consignments of 40 tonnes (40-feet containers) of goods annually. Some of the major importers do more than 20 consignments of 40 tonnes of goods per year.

Interestingly, the multi-billion dollar economies of both commercial towns are dominated by craftsmen and merchants many of whom do not have university education, but rely on apprenticeship to cut their teeth in the trades before going on their own.

It will be recalled that “stomach infrastructure” crept into Nigeria’s political lexicon following the 2014 Ekiti State governorship election when voters were given gifts of bags of rice and other foodstuff by office contenders to influence their choice. Both Fayose and Fayemi, the then governor gave out gifts. But Fayose’s became so prominent that it was believed to have led to his victory.

Fayose sending Ekiti youths to Aba and Onitsha in furtherance of his stomach infrastructure will be a move which is believed will enjoy the backing of the incoming Ekiti State House of Assembly, as all 26 members-elect were elected on PDP ticket, like the governor.

The youths, according to the said plan, are expected to return to Ekiti State after completing their apprenticeship, to re-enact the Aba and Onitsha phenomenon in their home state.



http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/06/new-lawmakers-define-ekiti-stomach-infrastructure/?utm_source=&utm_medium=facebook#sthash.6xtp1nVo.dpuf

Good

Stomach infrastructure ...

Good idea.
Kudos to Fayose

Blow me .....

From my experience Ekiti yorubas are very different from typical yorubas...very intelligent, mostly christians and think like Igbos.

NL yorubasses said na lie

Good one, hope they will learn how to make these boxes and talking drums. It will be hot cake in Yorubaland

deadZONE:

yoruba dude

I'm startin to think fayose is an igboman

Igbos in business is not just business alone but an institution of well established education. Ask that succesful igbo business man/woman in your area, he/she will first tell u they served someone for years before setting up there's.

Hehe let them. Come to there masters ,after they will be ranting on nairaland that they are better than IGBOs. !who is now. Beging each other for help hahahahah

Look at this one posting old "JUNE 6" news like it was reported today. everything in your brain is yoruba. When will you have a rest

May the tribal bigots never see this thread

Seems I have seen this news somewhere

Aareonakakanfo:
Look at this one posting old "JUNE 6" news like it was reported today. everything in your brain is yoruba. When will you have a rest

When are you going or your already there

Aareonakakanfo:
Look at this one posting old "JUNE 6" news like it was reported today. everything in your brain is yoruba. When will you have a rest

Seems u r in Aba already? Obey ur master, pay attention to whatever thing he is doing, Dats d secret of learning handiwork. Don't insult him, I knw u ppl get dat one A1.

This is the way forward, they should come and learn from masters and reduce the number of agberos in their land. How can grown able-bodied young men of 32years keep chasing after danfo for N20 to survive or begging on the streets of Osun, Oyo to get by everyday. It's alien to Igbos.

Oyo people should prioritze this ideas and learn from Igbos who have been toughened to fend for themselves since 1970s, not sharing fufu aregbe all over the place, when month ends, you'll tell workers that you can't pay salaries because they all ate Fufu aregbe. Way to go!

Aresa, virginfinder, azzima should leave their owoda and begging businesses, come down to the east and learn a trade. I will be glad to teleguide them with a Big stick on their coconut heads whenever they falter.

[s]

Aareonakakanfo:
Look at this one posting old "JUNE 6" news like it was reported today. everything in your brain is yoruba. When will you have a rest

[/s]

When u get to onitsha don't involve in "apiriko " just put eyes on ground and learn the trading skills. After 4 years u will b settled, But don't use ur settlement money to throw owambe party cos it's ur 4 years serving sweat.

Don't worry after 4 years u will join d league of industrious igbo huzzlers and u can demolish that mud house and build 5 storey in ur village

funkybully:


[s]When u get to onitsha don't involve in "apiriko " just put on ground and learn the trading skills. After 4 years u will b settled, But don't use ur settlement money to throw owambe party cos it's ur 4 years serving sweat.

Don't worry after 4 years u will join d league of industrious igbo huzzlers

[/s]

NOOOOOOOOO I DON'T WANT TO LEARN THIS. ADEOLA ODUTOLA IS MY ROLE MODEL

Oh no! Not Fayose again. Only he can make such a foolish move. Aren't there vocational schools he can send them to, to learn these skills professionally, rather than where they will be taught to produce inferior footwears? ? ?

Aareonakakanfo:
[/s]

NOOOOOOOOO I DON'T WANT TO LEARN THIS. ADELOLA ODUTOLA IS MY ROLE MODEL NOT THESE GUYS

From gala hawker, to a store owner to supermarket owner to a big time factory owner.

Don't despise d days of humble beginning. They are better than those "funmi owo and owoda " touts at oshodi running after buses on high speed

You'll see how a lot of arm-chair-analysts will come and criticize,even demonize this noble initiative of Fayose without telling us exactly what other previous governments in Ekiti have done towards empowering the people.
Weldone Fayose. Don't mind what the nay sayers will say.

funkybully:


From gala hawker, to a store owner to supermarket owner to a big time factory owner.

Don't despise d days of humble beginning. They are better than those "funmi owo and owoda " touts at oshodi running after buses on high speed

HEHEHEHE those guys are designed to be hawkers and traders. its already ingrained in their mentality. they never move higher than that. so stop telling lies. i know my environment. this is 2015.2040 they will still be doing the same thing. a lot of work needs to be done to correct that mentality

Aareonakakanfo:
[/s]

NOOOOOOOOO I DON'T WANT TO LEARN THIS. ADELOLA ODUTOLA IS MY ROLE MODEL NOT THESE GUYS

h

DikeOha882:
h

Atensshon!

new2020:
From my experience Ekiti yorubas are very different from typical yorubas...very intelligent, mostly christians and think like Igbos.

remember the late Col. Fajuyi? ekiti is his hometown. I respect ekiti yorubas from my heart. then secondly ijebu yorubas.

I hope ibedun, aresa,lovemijeje,Bluetooth,tit, demdem,superstar, aigbofa etc will be among them, atleast, let them be engaged in something meaningful

If the table were to be turned, Yoruba wouldn't teach their "rivals" anything that empowers them. FACT.
But knowing the Igbo, they would not hesitate to take anyone under apprentiship provided the person is HONEST, DISCIPLINED, LOYAL, and DEDICATED.
Those are the only secrets to the Igbo-style "trading".
I like the Fayose guy because he has been the only voice of reason from Yorubaland these days. But let no one think that Yoruba can overnight change to acquire those traits that make Igbo succeed in "trading".
I wish them luck though...

carnegiefan:
If the table were to be turned, Yoruba wouldn't teach their "rivals" anything that empowers them. FACT.
But knowing the Igbo, they would not hesitate to take anyone under apprentiship provided the person is HONEST, DISCIPLINED, LOYAL, and DEDICATED.
Those are the only secrets to the Igbo-style "trading".
I like the Fayose guy because he has been the only voice of reason from Yorubaland these days. But let no one think that Yoruba can overnight change to acquire those traits that make Igbo succeed in "trading".
I wish them luck though...

Skills?, no kill me with laughter abeg, like forcing customer to buy what dey don't like and beating the customer up for saying no?.
Or fufu blackberries, laptops and all sort of vices the only thing anyone can learn from you guys is how to make money by any means possible which is always not pleasing to the ears.
Eye don open " una jigg " is out, some of your " highly skilled and enterprising business " men were recently apprehended in armed robbery operation at Alaba international market, a market were one must sleep besides the container at night or else the container will be empty before morning, thieves everywhere, abeg make i hear word jor.