Kwania District has only eight youth for training at the Lango Zonal Presidential Skilling Hub in Lira City. The facility trains around 240 youths every 6 months, with each district in Lango expected to produce at least 21 youths per cohort.
However, in the last enrolled conducted this month, Kwania District had only 20 applicants who showed interest in the presidential skilling program, out of whom eight qualified and thus admitted for learning.
The learners were drawn from seven out of the 11 sub-counties in the district. Four sub-counties of Chawente, Nambieso, Ayabi and Inomo Town Council did not produce even a single candidate.
Kwania Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Kwania District said most applicants missed admission to the hub due to lack of national Identity cards.
“There are so many things we consider, for example, we want at least one person from each sub county but you may find that none of them has an ID,” he explained.
Caesar Obada, the Deputy Resident District Commissioner then tasked NRM leaders in the district to mobilize students to take up the remaining 12 positions.
“Today after seeing the process and requirements needed, I want to tell you that of all of you who showed up, only 8 have been successful which means we have a gap of 12 people so I am giving the task to the mobilizing team, Kwania secretariat to go back and mobilize people to take up the remaining slots because there is space between now up to Thursday when we shall be coming back to conduct another interview for those who might have applied but failed to come for interviews today.”)
Sadam Abili, the NRM chairperson for Kwania district called on youths who showed interest but were not admitted to remain patient saying the admission was non-partisan and that other opportunities will come for them.
Meanwhile successful applicants admitted for training expressed gratitude saying this is a great opportunity for them to skill and be able to fend for themselves.
The Lango Presidential Zonal Industrial Hub situated at Lira University serves the Lango sub-region, offering free technical training to underprivileged youth aged 18–30 to reduce unemployment.It offers courses like tailoring, knitting, hairdressing, embroidery, carpentry and joinery, welding and metal fabrication, building & construction, bakery, and shoemaking. URN