The Rivers State Government says it is poised to embark on Youth engagement, education and enlightenment to maximise the potentials of youths for improved wealth creation and entrepreneuship in the state.
Commissioner for Youth Development, Hon. Prince Obi Ohia who made the assertion in Etche during an advocacy visit to the Local Government Area stressed the need for Youths in the area to invest time and energy in acquiring formal education, life skills and improving their God-given talents in order to stay relevant in today’s changing world.
Hon. Ohia revealed that the State Government initiated the advocacy tour which features prominently, youth education, enlightenment and counselling to help them discover their innate abilities and potentials through the development of their mindset and renewed perception to life.
The Commissioner stated that the essence of the Youth engagement is to interface with them, identify their challenges and proffer solutions to their problems and above all, establish a symbiotic relationship between the youths, relevant stakeholders and Government at the State and Local Government levels.
He challenged the Youths to shun all forms of entitlement mentality but consciously work towards causing a paradigm shift from chasing paid employment to becoming entrepreneurs and employers of labour themselves, which will in the long run, increase the revenue of the State.
Ohia, however commended the Etche Council Chairman for appointing over 75 percent Youths to his cabinet and appealed to him to embark on human capital development that the Youths may leverage on to launch out as entrepreneurs.
He also harped on the need for Community Based Youths Organisations in the Local Government Area to ensure they go through the ongoing revalidation exercise as mandated by the ministry in order to operate legitimately and be captured in the database of the ministry.
The Commissioner stressed that the revalidation exercise also offers the ministry the opportunity to closely monitor activities of the Youth bodies to forstall any breakdown of law and order in the various communities.
On his part, Chairman of Etche Local Government Area, Hon. Obinna Anyanwu assured that the Council would embark on skills acquisition programme in all 19 wards of the LGA and encouraged the Youths to equip themselves in order to take up opportunities when the need arises.
Anyanwu commended the youths of Etche for their peaceful disposition and urged them to continue to partner with Government for the good of the local government area.
