Ikem Underscores Importance Of Good Character, Financial Prudence In Entrepreneurship

By Balogun Mabamije

The Secretary to the Delta State Vocational Education Board, Engineer Smart Ikem, has asserted that the hallmark of a successful business is tied to good character and financial prudence.

Engr Ikem stated this during the graduation and exhibition ceremony at the Vocational Education Centre at Afiesere.

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He said that no matter the knowledge acquired by anyone, if there was no good character, ones chosen line of business may crumble.

“Let me tell you, no matter the knowledge you gained, no matter the skills you acquired through skilled or conventional education, if you do not have good character, you have just waisted your time.

“If you have bad character, you may end up driving away your costumers which may open door of opportunities for others who have good character,” he stated.

Engr Ikem also advised them to be prudent in their day to day spending for them to be able to sustain their businesses.

He urged them not to spend all their profits, but should learn to save part of it.

Speaking further, Engr Ikem charged them to register with the union of artisans in their localities and continue to add more knowledge to what they had acquired, saying that knowledge is not static.”

“As you leave here today, endeavour to register with the artisans in your respective areas and try to acquire more knowledge to meet up with changes in the society,” he stated.

While commending the Administrator of the centre, Engr Ikem told them that the knowledge they had acquired, if well used, would make them self-reliant, self-sufficient and employers of labour.

Earlier, the Administrator of the centre, Lizzy Ajobor, in her address disclosed that the Afiesere Vocational Education Centre had trained over 259 persons within the three years of its existence.

She said vocational education focused on providing practical skills and knowledge required for specific trades, crafts and careers.

Ajobor explained that the vocational centres were created to help reduce the rate of unemployment in the state, just as she urged youths to seize the opportunity offered them to become entrepreneurs in different vocations.

Ajobor commended the Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, and Mr Ikem, as well as the leaders of Afiesere Community for the peaceful environment offered the centre and appealed to the board to assist the centre for regular supply of electricity.

She said the centre was yet to be connected to the National Electricity Grid, adding that the only available electricity generator was unable to meet the daily demand for electricity in the centre.

The ceremony witnessed exhibition, presentation of awards and certificates to graduands.