The stoning incidents attending President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign convoy in some northern states last month ignited a mild drama among some ministers at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
His convoy was first stoned on January 20 in Katsina State, home state of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, under whose tenure Jonathan was a Vice President.
Jonathan, accompanied by Vice-President Namadi Sambo; the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu; and Katsina State Governor, Ibrahim Shema, among others had paid a courtesy visit to the late President’s mother, Hajiya Dada.
Youths from the state, who had gathered around the area, attacked the President’s convoy with stones as he was leaving the Yar’Adua’s residence. There was, however, no casualty recorded in the attack.
This was not the case when the President took his campaign tour to Bauchi State on January 22 as six operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) covering the President were hospitalised after sustaining varying degrees of injuries from stoning after the rally.
These were the basis of the mild drama at the second Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting of the year which was held last Wednesday.
Since some of the ministers have not seen each other throughout the one month’s duration of the campaign tours, they went round before the FEC meeting started to exchange pleasantries.
Some of them had to wish each other ‘Happy New Year’ again since they were seeing for the second time in the year.
While some ministers also joked about the stoning incidences with some of the ministers who hail from the states where the President’s convoy was stoned, others tried to know how it happened and those behind it.
The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Mohammed Sada (who hails from Katsina State), left his seat in the Chamber to greet some of his colleagues on the other side of the hall.
As he was going back to his seat, he was stopped by the Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, who held his hand and said: “I learnt that you people are doing APC in your state, stoning the President’s convoy.”
Before Sada could reply, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, who was standing by, drew the attention of Moro to another discussion and dragged him away. Sada then proceeded to his seat.
Other ministers also gathered around the other minister who hails from the other state where the President’s convoy was stoned in similar discussions before President Jonathan arrived at the council chamber for the meeting to begin.
Empowerment, training programmes in one online window
Many Federal Government’s empowerment, funding and training programmes currently could be accessed from separate online websites.
Accessing all the packages through one website is seen as an innovation that will bring them to the doorstep of Nigerians, especially the youth and women who are the main targets of the programmes.
To this end, President Goodluck Jonathan, on Tuesday last week, launched the single website, NYENET.COM, under the Youth Entrepreneurship Strategy (YES).
He said: “I am therefore particularly excited that we are launching a broad-based public-private partnership called the Youth Entrepreneurship Strategy that will re-define the way we engage and support the empowerment and employment of our young people and women going forward.
“The goal of this strategy is to speed up an already fast moving train called Entrepreneurship, running across our nation to empower our youths and women. That is why the Federal Government of Nigeria is proud to partner with the Anabel Group to promote and manage the NYENET.COM portal.
“NYENET.COM, an online portal, is a one stop shop to empower and support Nigerian youths. By going to one online portal, NYENET.COM, our young people can access hundreds of federal and state governments’ empowerment programmes. Besides enhancing the ability of our young people to choose the programme that is right for them, this portal will also enhance the Federal Government’s ability to reach out to our young people.
Continuing, he said: “So, whether you require education or you require funding for your business, or in some cases, all you require is a mentor to guide you through the tough economic conditions, you can find support with this strategy and by using this portal.
The Youth Entrepreneurship Strategy goes further to fill the gaps in many of our entrepreneurship programmes by providing bankable business ideas to support young people that do not have ideas, or those that their great ideas have not found interest with the banks and financing institutions.
“I am particularly pleased by the fact that the Youth Entrepreneurship Strategy does not leave the support work for government alone. A major pillar of the strategy is the partnership with the private sector, in which private organisations and private successful business people can support youths in their own communities by signing up and providing funds for selected young people to own and operate their own businesses.
“I also want to encourage all of us here today and the privileged ones all across Nigeria to support our young people all over Nigeria by signing up and joining the coalition of Super Mentors on the NYENET.com portal. I already consider myself a Super Mentor and I expect that many more of us will follow in this direction, as it will improve the lives of millions of our young people.” he added The initiator of the portal, Nicholas Okoye maintained that it will completely eliminate stress and make the process of seeking and obtaining empowerment support easy and uncomplicated.Nigerian youths can’t wait too long for the strategy to start yielding the desired positive results and may it be a right step in the right direction.
