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From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Government said it has planned to begin youth empowerment in different areas of human endeavour in the state.
This was disclosed in Port Harcourt on Thursday, at a day summit tagged: “Linking the future of Rivers Youth to the Dreams of our Founding Fathers,” organised by Rivers for Rivers Network in conjunction with the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), for youths of the state.
Speaking, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youths and Development, Roland White, who represented the Governor Nyesom Wike, told the hundreds of participants at the summit that the government has concluded plans to commence their empowerment.
He said: “The Rivers State Government will soon begin Rivers State Youth Development policy. The policy will bring about youth empowerment and development.”
However, the former Chief of Staff to the state government, Tony Okocha, said the meeting was put together to build consciousness of youths on nation building.
Okocha, who is one of the directors of the Tinubu/Shetima Presidential Campaign Council/Independent Campaign Council in the state, said every generation has a vision, stressing that it is either the dreams were upheld or betrayed.
He mentioned that it was not the dream of the founding fathers of the state that Rivers is economically subservient to any race, nationality or tendency in the midst of plenty and charged the youths to avoid politicians that are not interested in development of the state.
Okocha urged the youths to be agents of change like the famous Thomas Sankara, who impacted positively on his nation, Burkina Faso, adding that achieving tasks means meaningful engagements by the stakeholders
He said: “However, the way to achieve this, is completely off the radar of crudites of violence or lawlessness, or any form of anomies whatsoever and howsoever. Youths of our dear Rivers State, resist roughshods that will threaten our existence.
“I charge you to discountenance the lure by failed and desperate politicians from our state, who maraud our villages, communities and towns, preaching against the interest of our people and state in the useless bid to curry inordinate political favours.”
