LAGOS AUGUST 15TH (URHOBOTODAY)-The President of Urhobo Progressive Youth Association, a youth development consultant, Comrade Marcus Ekure has urged President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhamadu Buhari as well as Dr Ifanyi Okowa, the governor of Delta state to give priority attention to realistic youth empowerment.
In a keynote address delivered during a one day lecture organized by Global Youth Empowerment Network (GLOYEN), a non governmental organization to mark this year’s international youth’s day at the Database/Youth Empowerment center in Ughelli, Delta state, Marcus attributed the high rate of unemployment, youth restiveness and criminality in the country today to shortsightedness, negligence and gross insensitivity to the plight of the Nigerian youth on the part of past governments, adding that the recklessness of our leaders has created a paradox of poverty in the midst of plenty in Nigeria especially the people of Niger Delta region.
He said, ‘’ a nation without realistic youth development agenda is vanquished, the youths of a nation are the trustees of posterity. The socio economic and political growth of any nation is anchored on the youths and as such realistic youth empowerment must take a robust space in the agenda of any government that wishes to succeed. In the last few years, the nation has lost so much to terrorism, militancy, youth restiveness and all forms of criminality because of its proactive deficiency and inability to do the needful in the area of youth development and empowerment. Our leaders must know that this reactionary approach which has been the bane of the problems ravaging the country today holds no good for us as such must be replaced with a proactive approach to issues. It is unwise to be spending huge amount of resources in solving a problem which could have been prevented if very little efforts and resources where deployed to do the needful”
However, taking a lead from a song by late Tupac Shakua which says, ‘’if we fail to spread our riches among the people, they would spread their poverty amongs us’’, The youth developer, urged the President to give priority attention to realistic youth empowerment and that to achieve this he should appoint leaders that are youth friendly, especially those with pragmatic track record of realistic youth empowerment activities as heads in youth management positions such as the ministerial office of the ministry of youth affairs. And that these youth leaders must be youths as it takes the youth to change the youths in the words of Martin Luther King Jr.
He however Lauded the transformative and visionary steps taken so far by the President at ensuring Nigeria takes a pride of place in the comity of nations. Marcus specifically hailed the moves by the President to ensure only those with clean records, irrespective of political party affiliation, are appointed ministers in his cabinet. He also commended the President over moves to recover all stolen funds by past government functionaries and politicians, adding that those found guilty should be convicted with heavy punitive consequences to forestall the evil of financial impropriety and corruption in the country. He also applauded the just introduced Okowa’s skill acquisition and youth empowerment initiative adding that it would only yield desired positive result when executed under a public private partnership platform.