A group, The Cradle Youths, has urged Ife kingmakers to consider the tradition of the ancient town in installing the next Ooni.
In a statement by its co-ordinator, Mr. Kunle Elusayo, the Ife-based group described as an abomination an attempt to pick a prince that has been conferred with a chieftaincy title.
The statement reads: “As a prince, it is an abomination to offer and receive any chieftaincy title, regardless of the prestige and ovation associated with such a title. A prince is a prospective king. Being a prince places one at a vintage position ahead of any chieftaincy title and such cannot be compromised.
“Only those who are not princes are given chieftaincy titles and chiefs are not qualified to be Ooni of Ife. Princes are never conferred with chieftaincy titles. Once a prince, always a prince. This is a popular Yoruba custom.
“It is, therefore, odd to see chiefs coming out to say they want to be Ooni, which is impossible. Their declaration of intention is in the first place an embarrassment to our tradition.”
Youths in Edo State have been urged to engage in agriculture instead of seeking greener pasture by trekking to Libya through the Sahara desert.
President of Edo Youth for Good Governance, (E.Y. F.G.G), Iyamu Osaro Culture, spoke at a ceremony to mark the International Youth Day.
Iyamu said agriculture remained the only viable option for the governments to empower youths on a sustainable basis instead of any other programme that could be scrapped easily.
He told youths present at the occasion to begin to engage government on issues affecting them rather than wait for peanuts during electioneering campaigns.
According to him, “Government must take advantages that abound in agriculture to engaging the youth towards self- sustenance.”
“Traveling or running to Libya is not an option. You must remain here to achieve great things. As I speak to you today our youths want to go to Libya and the only to curb this is by empowering them in purposeful agriculture”.
A guest speaker, Comrade Austin Osakwe, challenged the youth to be involve in the governance process of the Country and learnt to demand accountability from the three arms of government.
Skye Bank Plc has concluded its financial training for the youth. It was designed to empower them with the necessary entrepreneurial and financial planning skills.
According to a statement issued by the bank, the Sustainability and Consumer Protection Department, which anchored the training, said the programmes were based on the ongoing Financial Literacy Mentoring and Skye Financial literacy seminar initiatives of the bank.
It said Government Day Secondary School, Wuse 2, Abuja, was adopted for the mentoring programme where the training developed by Junior Achievement of Nigeria (JAN) was administered to the students over the course of the 2014/2015 academic session. A total of 84 contact hours were devoted to delivering the 7-modules training to all the students in the six arms of the school.
“The Skye Financial Literacy Seminar series was conceived on the strength of studies which showed financial literacy as an important component of sound financial decision making. The objective of the seminar series is to help participating students acquire the necessary financial knowledge and develop corresponding financial intelligence that will be useful for their lives’ journey. The seminar has taken place in Lagos, Ibadan, Calabar, Uyo, Port Harcourt and Yenagoa with a total of 208 contacts hours invested in teaching over 7000 students across 52 schools”, the statement explained.
According to the bank, the lecture focuses on money, how to make,manage and multiply money as well as the role of banks and other financial institutions in the management and multiplication of money.
Phoebestar Royalty Schools, Osogbo, has been adopted by the bank for the next round of Ongoing Financial Literacy Mentoring while the Skye Financial Literacy Seminar series would be focusing on the Southwest states.
Hundreds of aggrieved youths from coastal communities in the nine states of the Niger Delta region, yesterday, threatened to shut down the Port Harcourt headquarters of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in Rivers State.
The angry youths said they would shut down the office to protest the refusal of the NDDC to release the balance payment of a N1.05billion contract for clearing of water hyacinth along the creeks and waterways of the region.
The youths said they completed the job of clearing hyacinth along the coastline and creeks, but wondered why NDDC officials continued to withhold their payment.
Some of the youths from the Peremabiri and Koluama communities of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, explained that the hyacinth clearing project was awarded by the last administration to over 700 youths from the region.
They said the contract was part of measures adopted by the last administration to empower youths from the region, and gave the NDDC a14-day ultimatum to release the project fund or risk shutdown of its activities.
“All the affected youths and representatives of their communities will invade the NDDC office and will not vacate the place until the money is released,” they said.
But an ex-militant leader and President of the Leadership, Peace and Cultural Development Initiatives (LPDCI), ‘General’ Pastor Reuben Wilson, sued for calm, and advised the NDDC to listen to the youths and release the money.
Unemployed youths in Delta State, south-south Nigeria, have been called upon to take advantage of the State Government’s empowerment programmes.
The Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Delta State Governor, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, made the call while addressing newly recruited but disengaged protesters from the State Civil Service by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s administration.
Some persons were recruited into the state civil service in April 2014 by the former Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan.
The CPS said the Okowa’s administration meant well for the people of Delta and for those disengaged, adding that the state government’s decision to disengage those recruited one month before his inauguration was in good faith.
Youths in Afikpo Northeast of Ebonyi State now know what their representative at the state House of Assembly, Mrs Maria Udeh Nwachi has in store for them.
Hon Udeh said she intends to provide jobs in tourism as well as sports. She said this at a thank-you rally following her victory in the April 11 election.
The lawmaker who is the Minority Leader of the State House of Assembly made a history when she swept the polls against all odds, beating both the ruling party and Labour Party candidates to become the first female lawmaker to represent the constituency.
She seized the opportunity to visit the Ulo-uni traditional elders council not only to appreciate their support but also unveil her plan for her constituents.
Hon Nwachi also ceased the opportunity to tell the people that it will never be business as usual at the council headquarters of Afikpo North as she solicited the support of the people to enthrone a leader with A kind heart and passion for selfless service.
Spokesperson of the Eto, Essa and Onikara age grades, in their separate responses, took turns to eulogise the lawmaker and enjoined her to continue to work in unity with her team and promised her full cooperation.
At the Amuro/Mgbom primary school field, Mrs Nwachi was received by a mammoth crowd who trooped out to to re wive her.
In her address she revealed that work has already started on the road rehabilitation projects and the toilet facility she is personally carrying out for the people restating that the burden of her constituents remains her burden.
Mrs Maria Ude Nwachi says plans are in motion to float a football team for Afikpo Town in Ebonyi State.
The ancient city, best known for being the home town of former Premier of old Eastern Nigeria, Ezeogo Akanu Ibiam, is the State’s second commercial city after Abakaliki, the state capital.
Mrs Nwachi stated this at the opening match of the Maria Unity Cup which she is sponsoring.
While revealing that 24 teams will be taking part in the tournament, Mrs Nwachi expressed hope that the tournament will help to discover talents who could go on to represent the country in the near future internationally.
She said, “The best players picked from the 24 participating teams will form Maria Football Club. My goal is to revive sports in Afikpo and beyond. I will leave no stone unturned to make sure it is achieved.
“The ‘’Maria Unity Cup” is a sports concept primarily for talent hunt. That means players with the requisite wizardry can go professional from this fiesta”, she added.
Nwachi who represents Afikpo North East State Constituency said more packages are on the way to ensure that the youths have a sense of belonging.
The government Secondary School, Afikpo, football field was filled to capacity as people of the town thronged the venue to witness the opening match of the tournament.
The match was between Unwana FC and NYSC FC and after 90 minutes of soccer artistry ended in a 1-1 draw.
The lawmaker also revealed plans to stage the Miss Afikpo Beauty Pageant-2015 at the Maria Island Resort.
According to her the winner of the pageant will go home with a Honda Accord car amongst other packages. The event comes up on August 29.
Mrs Nwachi said more packages are in stock for the youths and will be unveiled as time goes on.
She said,” I am not in government to make money but to give my constituents a sense of belonging. All I need is their support”.
Youths under the aegis of Oriwu Central Mosque Youth Organisation (OCMYO) in Ikorodu area of Lagos State have described the Chief Imam of the Oriwu Central Mosque, Alhaji Yahya Oshoala as a man who promotes peace in Ikorodu Islamic organisations.
The group urged critics to desist from talking ill of the Chief Imam so as to allow peace to reign in Ikorodu Islamic Organisation.
In a statement issued and signed by the President of the organisation, Hadji Kazim Ganiu-Sanni, OCMYO said the Chief Imam of Oriwu is contented with the capacity at which he is serving and he has never vied for the office of Chief Imam of Ikorodu Central Mosque.
He further noted that Oshoala is ready for any move to facilitate settlement between the Oriwu Central Mosque and the Ikorodu Central Mosque.
According to the statement, leadership is not the problem of Oshoala but the progress of Islam, unity, justice and peaceful co-existence of the inhabitants of Ikorodu.
The statement stated that the rift between the duo Muslim organisations has existed for many years and the Imam of Oriwu Central Mosque cannot be blamed for it.
The statement read in part: “With reference to the above explanation, it is obvious that both Sheikh Oshoala and Oriwu Central Mosque are committed to any peace move initiated to facilitate amicable settlement of the ongoing rift between the two Central Mosques and will never stand in the way of such moves.
“We also want to reiterate that Sheikh Oshoala is a man of peace and is contented with his leadership role in Oriwu Central Mosque; hence, those cynically linking him to the Imamship of the Ikorodu Central Mosque for political gains are hereby advised to desist from the character assassination and allow peace to reign within the Ikorodu Muslim community.
“We also want to state that leadership is not the main concern of Chief Imam Oshoala of Oriwu but the progress of Islam, unity, justice and peaceful co-existence of the inhabitants of Ikorodu.”
Youths in Afikpo, Afikpo North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, are protesting blackout in the town.
They said the town had been in darkness in the last seven months.
Three vehicles belonging to the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) was vandalised by youths, who barricaded entry and exit points.
Banks and markets were shut following the protest, which paralysed movement.
A resident, Egwu Idam, said youths besieged the distribution company as early as 7am, sacked the workers and vandalised three company’s vehicles.
“For over seven months, we’ve not had light and we have been paying bills. We told the EEDC workers to stop bringing bills since they don’t give us light but they won’t listen.
“Today, we decided to stop these. We want the right thing to be done. Its either they give us power or they stop bringing bills because we cannot continue to pay for what we don’t consume,” Idam said.
Police spokesman Chris Anyanwu, who confirmed the incident, condemned the youth’s action.
He said the area commander and his team had been directed to calm the situation.
Youths of Oro ethnic nationality in Akwa Ibom State have disagreed with Governor Udom Emmanuel over his comment on President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-appointment of Mr. Joshua Okpo as the Rector of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron.
The youths, under the aegis of the Coalition of Oro Nation Community Youth Leaders, addressed reporters yesterday in Oron on the development.
They criticised Emmanuel for saying President Buhari’s extension of Okpo’s tenure, instead of upgrading the institution to a university, was a wrong step.
The group’s Acting President. Usuyak Atting said Emmanuel displayed a lack of basic knowledge about the dynamics of the institution.
He noted that Emmanuel was pretending to show concern for Oro, whose mandate he had allegedly stolen.
The youths’ leader said Oro had suffered eight years of hardship, pains, neglect and injustice under former Governor Godswill Akpabio.
According to him, by re-appointing Okpo as the Rector of the academy, President has done the right thing for Oro, considering the dynamics of maritime institutions worldwide.
Atting said: “Governor Emmanuel is not only bereft of knowledge about the dynamics and technicality of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria at Oron, he is also a busy body. He pretends to show concern about the development of an ethnic nationality that has benefitted immensely from Dr Joshua Okpo-led administration via the provision of corporate social responsibility (CSR) to the host community and training of youths in various skills for self-reliance, after eight years of hardship, pains, marginalisation and gross injustice meted out to Oro people during his predecessor’s traumatised administration.
“…It is rather unfortunate that Governor Emmanuel has forgotten in a hurry that Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, is a Federal Government-owned institution and not a secondary school in Awa Iman, Onna, or a state-owned tertiary institution.”
There is need for Nigerian youths to eschew crime and ensure embark on self-developing initiatives to better their lives, Senator Oluremi Tinubu has said.
Tinubu made the remarks at a youth forum held at the secretariat of Iru/Victoria Island Local Council Development Area, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Speaking on the theme, “Youths’ Involvement in Politics and Nation Building,” Tinubu, who was represented by the Executive Secretary of Iru/Victoria Island LCDA, Hon Muyideen Daramola, expressed disappointment over the failure of successive governments to provide the enabling environment youths to become future leaders.
She said: “You can hardly see a leader who would say he wants to give the youth a chance, but if the youth are prepared and determined they will be identified.”
“All institutions and government at all levels must provide the enabling environment for the youth to exhibit their talents for the development of the nation.”
She admonished youths to engage in skill acquisition in different vocations even if they could not go for formal education.
She stressed: “Skill acquisition would youths from being used by desperate politicians to perpetrate violence during elections only to be dumped later.”
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Akinwumi Bayode, noted that youths must outline their desires in joining political parties.
He noted that “hardly would you see a leader who would say he wants to give the youth a chance, but if the youth are prepared and determined they will be identified.”
Another party leader, Barrister Olajide Adams, charged the youth to create a niche for themselves by comporting themselves in such a way that people would respect them in their communities.
He advised them to eschew violence and dual character, noting that some youths are inconsistent in their attitudes as they do things for the love of money.
One of the youth leaders in the council area, Barrister Ralph Fatona, explained that the programme was organised to enlighten and encourage the youth to have self-confidence and play their role in nation building through participatory governance for them to achieve greatness in government and politics.
