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Tag: youths

  • Jonathan advises youths on tolerance

    Jonathan advises youths on tolerance

    President Goodluck Jonathan has advised Nigerian youths to use religion to foster peace and unity in the country, even as religious youth leaders blamed the spate of societal decadence, especially violence, on the failure of religious leaders to impact teachings geared towards tolerance, peace and national unity in their followers.

    Speaking in Abuja at the first Nigerian Inter-religious Youth Summit, President Jonathan, who noted that the summit could not have come at a better time than now, said religion should be more than going to churches or mosques every day.

    Jonathan, who was represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Youth and Student Affairs, Jude Imagwe said:  “We have to be tolerant of others if we must move our society forward. When went wrong? There was a time in this country when we used to wait eagerly for exchange of gifts from our neighbours, Muslims and Christians during Sallah and Christmas. We have to start preaching peace, but to achieve peace, we must work for peace.”

    The convener of the summit, Timothy Ademola said the blame of the present rot should be directed at religious leaders, saying: “It has been argued that if religious teachers and scholars can come up with sacred identity constructs that outline more peaceful world views, the world will, to a large extent, be made much better.

    “Given the fact that youths constitute the most active segment of any religion when it comes to the implementation of its sacred identity constructs, it goes without saying that such constructs become more socially-accommodating and productive.

    “The youth that adopt the will become more socially accommodating and productive. At this level, religion actively becomes an instrument for youth empowerment and constructive change.”

    The President of Youth Wing of Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN), Simon Dolly urged understanding between religious faiths.

    He said: “We need to understand each other, work together and build bridges. We should build on our strength rather than look at our weaknesses.”

    In his presentation, the National President of National Council of Muslim Youth Organisation (MACOMYO), Kamaldeen Akintunde regretted that hypocrisy on the part of religious leaders has contributed, in no small measures, to the spate of violence in the country.

    “Since religion, as a concept, means different things to different people, we should then strive to make it an agent of stability. This is more so because religious intolerance has cost the country so much in our socio-political and economic development.

    While he canvassed for constitutional regulation of religious activities, the youth leader urged political, religious and community leaders to be cautious when making comments on religious issues.

    The representative of Eckankar said the solution to violence in the country is peace.

  • A lift for youths, agric in Yobe

    As peace gradually returns to Yobe State, thanks to the emergency rule, the administration of Governor Ibrahim Gaidam has taken far-reaching steps to help the state farmers produce enough food.

    The administration has provided subsidised fertilizer for farmers, inaugurated and distribution 40 units of Massey Ferguson tractors and other implements. It has also disbursed funds to youths and women under the state Fadama III Development Project.

    That was not all. Water pumps were equally handed out to farmers to help them irrigate their farmlands. No fewer than 500 tricycle were given out too under the SURE-P scheme.

    At the flagg-off, which took place at the Government House, Damaturu, Governor Gaidam disclosed that  his administration will continue to accord agricultural sector the attention it deserves, adding that Yobe will strive to attain food sufficiency under his administration.

    The measure, according to Gaidam, will boost agriculture and stimulate economic growth and reduce unemployment among the teaming youths of the state, stressing that the insurgency has slowed down the level of development in the state and even affected the agriculture sector.

    “Any nation that can solve its food problem has solved half of its problem,” the governor said.

    At the launching, he cut down the prices of fertilizer procured at N7,312.50 by 70%. He  directed that it be sold at the subsidised rate of N2,500, adding that  that government procured 6,000 metric tons  of urea amounting to N877.5, all with the aim of creating the enabling environment for the agricultural sector.

    “The state now has 6000 metric tons of urea fertilizer procured at the total sum of N877,500,000 to be distributed to each of the 178 electoral wards in the state, large-scale farmers, civil servants, irrigation farmers etc,” Gaidam said.

    He warned that government will take drastic measures against any committee that diverts the product.

    “You must avoid the temptation of the antics of middlemen,” he said.

    While launching the 40 pieces MF375 tractors, the governor noted that the state must take further steps to mechanise its agricultural production by employing modern practices that will improve output.

    “For us to achieve our objectives, we  must take further steps to mechanise our agricultural production by employing modern practices that will improve out-put. This informs the use of tractors and their accessories, improved seedlings and agro-chemicals, in addition to embarking on robust extention services that will help our farmers to overcome any obstacle to agricultural production.

    “It is in realisation of this that the 40 MF375 tractors and implements were procured at the total cost of N320m. This is aimed at boosting agricultural production among our citizens in addition to serving as a source of enhancing revenue generation drive for the Government,” Governor Gaidam.

    He warned that the operations of the tractors would be properly monitored and supervised to avoid any leakage of funds provided from them.

    The governor who lamented the erratic rainfall and its poor distribution in the arid and semi-arid zones like Yobe, announced that the state government has identified areas that have potentials of  irrigation farming in Yunusari and Yusufari local government areas.

    As an interim measure, 100 water pumps and tube wells amounting to N15 million was distributed to beneficiaries at the occasion.

    Also, N76 million assistance was given to women and youth groups under the Fadam III  programme.

    On the tricycles, Governor Gaidam said they will be given to beneficiaries with a 50 per cent discount to be paid within 24 months.

    In his  remarks, the state commissioner of agriculture Alhaji Idi Barde Gubana announced that the present administration from the beginning disbursed  the sum of N581 million to 14,421 beneficiaries across the state.

    He pointed out that with the fertilizer sales, the tractors  and other agricultural inputs, farmers will be encouraged  to produce more.

     

  • Anxiety as youths attack Imo Governor Okorocha’s convoy

    Anxiety as youths attack Imo Governor Okorocha’s convoy

    LESS than two months after a driver collided with his car on Orlu-Owerri Road, Governor Rochas Okorocha’s convoy was yesterday attacked by some youths in Awa community, Oguta Local Government Area.

    The youths were protesting against an outrider in the governor’s convoy, who reportedly knocked down another cyclist in the campaign train of a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the House of Assembly rerun election in Oguta council area.

    The rampaging youths in the campaign train of Eugene Dibiagwu of the PDP, intercepted Okorocha’s convoy and barricaded the road – in defiance of threats by security operatives attached to the governor’s convoy.

    On April 19, a driver rammed his car into Okorocha’s vehicle on Orlu-Owerri Road. The governor, who sustained a head injury in the collision, was flown abroad for treatment.

    According to an eye-witness account, the governor was on a project tour of Oguta Local Government Area when his convoy ran into the campaign train of the PDP flagbearer yesterday.

    The eye-witness claimed the governor’s outrider knocked down a cyclist and thereafter seized his radio.

    But another account alleged that Okorocha was on a mobilisation tour for the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate, Walter Uzonwanne, for the rerun election slated for next week.

  • Jonathan advises youths on tolerance

    Jonathan advises youths on tolerance

    President Goodluck Jonathan has advised Nigerian youths to use religion to foster peace and unity in the country, even as religious youth leaders blamed the spate of societal decadence, especially violence, on the failure of religious leaders to impact teachings geared towards tolerance, peace and national unity in their followers.

    Speaking in Abuja at the first Nigerian Inter-religious Youth Summit, President Jonathan, who noted that the summit could not have come at a better time than now, said religion should be more than going to churches or mosques every day.

    Jonathan, who was represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Youth and Student Affairs, Jude Imagwe said:  “We have to be tolerant of others if we must move our society forward. When went wrong? There was a time in this country when we used to wait eagerly for exchange of gifts from our neighbours, Muslims and Christians during Sallah and Christmas. We have to start preaching peace, but to achieve peace, we must work for peace.”

    The convener of the summit, Timothy Ademola said the blame of the present rot should be directed at religious leaders, saying: “It has been argued that if religious teachers and scholars can come up with sacred identity constructs that outline more peaceful world views, the world will, to a large extent, be made much better.

    “Given the fact that youths constitute the most active segment of any religion when it comes to the implementation of its sacred identity constructs, it goes without saying that such constructs become more socially-accommodating and productive.

    “The youth that adopt the will become more socially accommodating and productive. At this level, religion actively becomes an instrument for youth empowerment and constructive change.”

    The President of Youth Wing of Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN), Simon Dolly urged understanding between religious faiths.

    He said: “We need to understand each other, work together and build bridges. We should build on our strength rather than look at our weaknesses.”

    In his presentation, the National President of National Council of Muslim Youth Organisation (MACOMYO), Kamaldeen Akintunde regretted that hypocrisy on the part of religious leaders has contributed, in no small measures, to the spate of violence in the country.

    “Since religion, as a concept, means different things to different people, we should then strive to make it an agent of stability. This is more so because religious intolerance has cost the country so much in our socio-political and economic development.

    While he canvassed for constitutional regulation of religious activities, the youth leader urged political, religious and community leaders to be cautious when making comments on religious issues.

    The representative of Eckankar said the solution to violence in the country is peace.

  • Kwankwaso spends N250m to train 215 youths

    THE Kano State Government has spent over N250 million on the establishment of the state’s Corporate Security Institute to create jobs for the teeming unemployed youths and enhance security of life and property.

    Governor Rabi’u Kwankwaso spoke yesterday at the Government House during graduation of the 216 youths of the institute and offer of appointment to newly employed youths under the “1005” and “1006” employment schemes into the state civil service.

    The governor noted that some people were recruiting old, unqualified men to guard their homes and complexes, adding that such people lack exposure to modern trends in security management.

    He said the Corporate Security Institute is a step towards revolutionising security management in the state.

    Kwankwaso explained that because of the dire need for the corporate security men, the government resolved to employ all the 216 graduates of the institute to serve in government agencies and establishments.

    According to him, various private organisations and agencies have indicated interest to employ them to replace their current “watchmen”.

    The governor said the graduating security personnel were given three weeks intensive training in security management to enable them meet the demands of their jobs in a changing world.

    He added that the next batch of 300 students has been selected and will be resume soon.

    Kwankwaso assured that his administration would continue to create opportunities for the teeming unemployed youths in Kano.

    The governor congratulated the beneficiaries but cautioned them against indolence and corruption.

    He explained that because the government has enough money to pay the entitlements of its civil servants, his administration will inject new blood into the service for enhanced productivity.

    Kwankwaso stressed that new mechanisms have also been adopted to check stagnation in the service.

    State Head of Civil Service, Alhaji Umar Shehu Minjibir, described the employment of over 5,000 fresh graduates in two years as unprecedented in Nigeria.

     

  • Promoting culture among youths

    A multiple events featuring cooking competition (edikang-ikong soup and garri, gbegiri soup and amala, painting competition on My new Lagos (how the children want Lagos to be), march past and the display of hairdo at the National Museum, Lagos.

    It was this year’s Children Day celebration organised by the National Museum, Onikan Lagos with the theme, An agent of creativity and social change. The event was designed to promote Nigerian cultural values among the youths. It featured children who were drawn from primary and secondary schools in lagos State who demonstrated, how to receive a traditional ruler, how he should be respected and honoured in the society.

    Curator of the museum, Mrs Judith Ekunke, said it was essential to celebrate children and inculcate in them norms and values of our tradition ‘because they are the future generation’.

    According to Ekunke, “we use this event to celebrate the African child, inculcate into our children the things of tradition because they are like the carrier of our tradition”. She urged the children to appreciate the nation’s heritage and preserve the cultural patrimony.

    This year’s theme is coined from the International Museum Day theme: Memory plus creativity equals social change.

     

    Assistant Chief Museum Education Officer and Coordinator of Children’s Day celebration, Adegboye Janet Yemisi, said: “What we want from the students is to show interest in our indigenous culture. More so, we give them an avenue to be able to relate with each other, inculcate love and promote culture among Nigerian children. By so doing, they would disabuse their minds on any ethnic crisis”.

    She explained that the cooking competition was aimed at making children learn how to cook, particularly when children these days only cook indomie and fry eggs at the expense of traditional meals which are fading away. The event was sponsored by corporate organisations and individuals, such as Iyabo Lawani, MTN, Sweetco, Viju, Milkose.

  • Youths call for release of Kogi lawmaker

    Kogi youths, under the aegis of state branch of the National Youth Council (NYC), yesterday urged President Goodluck Jonathan and all well-meaning Nigerians to ensure the release of an arrested member of the House of Assembly, Friday Sanni, without further delay.

    The youths, who were protesting the arrest and detention of the lawmaker, told reporters in Lokoja, the state capital, that the arrest was the handiwork of his political detractors, who want to tarnish his image.

    Sanni was allegedly caught last week in Abuja in company of some men who were said to be in possession of some AK 47 riffles.

    Police walkie-talkie was allegedly found in his car.

    His arrest, it was learnt, followed a tip-off.

    The lawmaker has been arraigned before an Abuja Chief Magistrate’s Court, which ordered him to be remanded in prison pending today’s hearing of his case.

    But the youths said the arrest and detention of the lawmaker were unjust and politically motivated.

    NYC Chairman Farouk Mazai Suleiman said Sanni was a misunderstood politician, especially among those he called political misfits.

    According to him, the lawmaker was framed up by some Abuja-based politicians who felt threatened by his rising political profile.

    Reeling out Sanni’s achievements in office, Suleiman said the embattled lawmaker has touched the lives of more members of his constituency than all his political enemies.

    The youth leader added that the arrest was a ploy to scuttle his youth empowerment programme.

    The House of Representatives, it was learnt, allegedly ordered the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to arrest Sanni over allegations of murder, thuggery and setting up an illegal security outfit, called Ajana Mopol.

    The House was allegedly acting on a petition by a former Minister of Interior, who alleged that the lawmaker had been declared wanted by the police over those allegations.

    The ex-minister wondered why the police had not arrested the lawmaker, despite the allegations against him.

    But the Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Iyang Ekwo, quashed the order.

     

  • Fed Govt urged to educate youths

    THE Federaal Governmnt has been advised to provide quality education for its young people that would help them thrive and contribute to societal growth.

    In an interview with reporters, Shantanu Prakash, an Indian and Chief Executive Officer, Educomp, a firm that provides ICT solutions for teaching and learning, said failure to do so would spell disaster for the nation.

    He said: “I think that the challenges facing both countries (Nigeria and Indian) are similar. They both have young population. Countries that have young population have opportunities but there is also a danger. The opportunity is that if you train these young people and give them the right education, they can become globally productive citizens. But the danger is that, if you do not provide them the right education, they can become a demographic disaster.”

    From the experience Educomp has gathered running the Ambassador Nne Furo Kurubo Model Secondary School, Eleme, for the Rivers State government, Prakash said many youths are also bright but lack quality teachers to harness their potential. He said this is so because teaching does not attract the best of brains, a problem that is not unique to Nigeria.

    Continuing, he said: “For some reasons across the world, teachers’ salaries are not very high. Which means that it is difficult to attract the best talents to become teachers. If you go to the class and ask the students, how many of you want to become teachers, very few will raise their hands. They want to become sportsmen, football players, politicians, pilot and others. Because the sector is not able to attract the best quality, the delivery of education is not so good, even though the students are very hard working. I was at Ambassador Nne Furo Kurubo Model Secondary School, Eleme, and was really pleasantly surprised to see how disciplined the students are, how bright they are and I asked some of the Indian teachers we brought to teach Maths and Science, ‘How do you find the students compared to the Indian students?’ and they gave me a very frank answer. They said many of the students are even better than the students in India.”

    To help teachers perform better, Prakash said ICT tools produced by the company called Edumate can make teaching and learning more interesting.

    He said: “So, when you have teachers who are, unfortunately, not the best given that the society can’t pool the best teachers and the students are very bright, to bridge the gap we have to use some support and Edumate is that kind of support.

    “In the past 18 years, Educomp has been working tirelessly trying to find the best and the most technologically advanced method of making the student more efficient and productive; improving the curriculum interaction so that we have a better human capital base and we have been very well known across the world for a very large number of innovations. One of our products is Smart Class. Smart Class brings the power of digital content right inside the classroom. Almost every part of our world has been impacted with ICT or Information and Communication Technology.”

    Rather than just sell products to schools that they may not use effectively, Prakash said Educomp provides training support

    “As you said, they have bought the computers and they are there lying in the cartons. That is a very sad situation because we are playing with the lives of the children and that is something we should not do. We don’t sell these products without training. Even if it is a slow process, when we partner with the schools, we make them use them effectively, so that they will not be paying for buying it but paying for using it,” he said.

     

  • Youths lock out Imo bishop

    •Pope’s decision final, says Church

    Monsignor Peter Okpalaeke was yesterday ordained the Bishop of Ahiara Diocese amid tight security at the Seat of Wisdom Seminary in Ulakwo in Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State.

    This was as aggrieved youths locked the cathedral in Ahiara Community in Aboh Mbaise Local Government in protest.

    Okpalaeke, who is from Anambra State, was appointed bishop by former Pope Benedict XVI last December, after the death of Bishop Victor Chikwe.

    But his appointment was rejected by priests and Catholic faithful from the diocese, who preferred an indigene of Mbaise to be elected as bishop.

    The youths locked the gate of the cathedral, where the bishop was to begin his 10-year tenure.

    The protesters, who disrupted vehicular and human movement, vowed not to allow the bishop into the cathedral.

    They insisted that the diocese will remain without a bishop for the 10 years that Okpalaeke’s tenure will last.

    One of the protesters said: “Although the development is strange in the Catholic Church but we will not allow this injustice.

    “ We don’t want a bishop who is not from our community; that is all we are saying and we are ready to confront them force with force.”

    The ordination, which was held several miles away from the Diocese, attracted Catholic faithful and dignitaries, including the Archbishop of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan.

    In his sermon, the Catholic Bishop of Umuahia, Lucius Ugorji, said it is only the Pope who has the final say in the appointment of bishops.

    He said the law of the Church does not have provisions for quota system in the appointment of bishops.

    Rev Ugorji added that the acceptance of the Papal’s appointment is a respect for the Pope.

    He said the outright rejection and inflammatory statements and protests are spiteful and disrespectful of the Papal authority.

    The bishop advised the people to bury their anger as Christians and work with the new bishop.

    He advised Okpalaeke to foster peace and reconciliation among the people.

     

  • Okorocha apologises to Imo youths

    Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha yesterday apologised to unemployed youths across the country.

    He noted that their plight was a result of poor leadership, which has failed to entrench policies that will grow the economy and guarantee employment for the youths, especially graduates.

    Speaking during the inauguration of the ‘Youths Must Work’ project at the Heroes’ Square in Owerri, the state capital, the governor assured the unemployed graduates that the state will partner with the private sector to provide employment and other palliatives for graduates in the state.

    According to him, the problem of unemployment is not the fault of the youths but an endemic problem caused by the leadership of the country.

    Okorocha urged the private sector to employ Imo youths as his administration will pay half of the salary of any youth employed by any industry, hotel or supermarket operating in the state.

    He added that every youth employed in the state will earn N40,000, saying the state will pay N20, 000 and employers will pay the balance.