From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
National President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Wale Oke, has called on the three tiers of government in the country to prioritise heavy investments in the nation’s youth.
Speaking at a press conference held at the Precious Cornerstone University (PCU) in Ibadan, Oyo State, Bishop Oke emphasized the importance of securing the future of Nigeria by empowering the young generation.
The press conference followed the second convocation of the university held on Saturday at its campus in Ibadan. A total of 100 students graduated with 10 first-class honours.
Bishop Oke used the occasion to remind leaders of the need to invest in the youth to secure their future. “We must invest in the youth today as a matter of deliberate policy,” Oke stated.
He urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to make the youth a top priority by investing in their education, providing employment opportunities, and creating an enabling environment for them to start their own businesses.
He canvassed for the inclusion of private universities in the list of beneficiaries of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), and stressed the need for equal opportunities, as parents of students in these institutions were also taxpayers.
Lamenting the present brain drain syndrome, Oke warned of the alarming rate at which the country’s brightest minds were leaving the country to contribute to other nations’ economies. He stressed the urgency of making Nigeria attractive to its youth. He also called for an end to police brutality against the young population.
Oke called on corporate private organizations to join forces with the government in investing in the youth, emphasizing the need to raise a generation that is both Godly and focused on creating jobs instead of seeking them.