The Nation Newspaper

Tag: youths

  • Youths protest EKSU student’s killing

    Youths protest EKSU student’s killing

    •Demand N150m compensation for family

    Youths in Ilupeju-Ekiti, Oye Local Government Area, yesterday protested the killing of a 400-level student of the Ekiti State University (EKSU), Seyi Fasere.

    He was allegedly shot dead by a police officer, popularly called Akobi Esu (Devil’s first born), on February 28 after a robbery in Oye-Ekiti.

    As early as 7am, the youths gathered at the Methodist Pilot School and barricaded major roads, halting commercial activities and vehicular movement.

    Schools were hurriedly shut as the protesters went round Isidore, Iyana Ire, Abuja Express Road, Garrage and Menora Market.

    Waving tree branches, they insisted that “the police must produce Fasere’s killer”.

    They carried placards with inscriptions, such as “Where is Akobi Esu”; “We cannot be silent about Fasere”; “Wakama is shielding a killer”; “Governor Kayode Fayemi, Fasere was also your subject” and “IGP, Fasere’s blood is on your neck”, among others.

    The youths blocked the Ifaki-Lokoja highway, causing a gridlock for nearly eight hours.

    Motorists going towards Kogi State from Ifaki/Oye-Ekiti had to go back to Oye-Ekiti and make a detour through Isan-Ekiti.

    The protesters visited the palace of the Apeju of Ilupeju-Ekiti, Oba Olaleye Oniyelu.

    They accused the governor; Secretary to the State Government Alhaji Ganiyu Owolabi and Oye Local Government Chairman Mr. Akindele Ogungbuyi of not “playing their expected roles in bringing Fasere’s killer to justice and restitution to his parents”.

    The protest took an unexpected turn when the youths went to the Oye Police Station.

    The few policemen on duty shot into the air and fired tear gas at the protesters.

    This led to a stampede and one of the protesters, Omoniyi Deji, was critically injured. It was learnt that he has being hospitalised.

    President of Ilupeju Youths Evang. Ajayi Idowu, who addressed the youths during the protest, said it was “morally and constitutionally wrong for the police to conduct a postmortem on Fasere without involving his family”.

    He said: “Given the unjust killing and the trauma the slain student’s parents went through, the police should pay them N150 million as compensation.

    “The police are taking people for a ride. After killing a person unjustly and abusing his parents, they went ahead to conduct a secret investigation and are now telling the parents to come and take the body for burial.

    “We demand that Fasere should be buried at the command headquarters and the command be named after him, so that his death will not be in vain.”

    The President of Ilupeju Ekiti Students’ Union, Mr. Temitayo Fatile, said: “I expect the police to own up that Fasere was killed in error, rather than playing pranks with the unjust killing of a promising young man. We will not stop protesting until the government gives one of the deceased’s siblings scholarship up to the university level.

    “Secondly, since the police disgraced Fasere’s parents, the family must be compensated with N150 million. Thirdly, we expect a pronouncement from the police and the Federal Government that Fasere was not an armed robber and he was mistakenly shot.

    “The police made a mistake by conducting the autopsy without inviting any member of the family to witness it.”

    Police spokesman Mr. Victor Babayemi said the command was not aware of the protest.

     

  • Youths must shun immorality —Runsewe

    The Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation has charged Nigerian youths to shun all forms of social vices capable of derailing their future as leaders of tomorrow.

    Otunba Olusegun Runsewe was speaking as one of the guests at a programme called “Shift” organized by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) held at the Old Parade Ground in Abuja on a day workers across the world were marking the annual Workers’ Day which holds every May 1st.

    Speaking on the topic, “The Youth and Social Transformation”, Otunba Runsewe decried a trend where youths now embrace practices like homosexuality, drug abuse, indecent dressing, criminality, prostitution and other vices, warning that they were detrimental to the core of our moral value system and nation-building.

    Addressing the massive crowd populated by mostly youths, he observed that the Nigerian youth is drifting towards unhealthy alien practices like tattooing, sagging of trousers, putting on earrings and hair plaiting by male folks which, in his opinion, not only offend God, but are capable of jeopardizing the high moral standards that Africa is known for.

    He appealed to the youths to continually remain good ambassadors of the country by striving to portray a good image through high moral conduct admonishing that parents must also play a critical role in shaping the future of Nigeria by looking out for their wards always.

    Also speaking at the event, Professor Jerry Gana, a onetime Senator of the Federal Republic said the youths play an integral part in nation-building, citing Biblical examples such as Joshua, David, Samson and even our Lord Jesus Christ, noting they were all youths.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • What future for Nigeria’s youths?

    What future for Nigeria’s youths?

    SIR: “The youths are the future of this nation.” This has been a popular saying that has been used on so many occasions to re-create the impression that the youths hold the key to not just the future but a bright one.

    No doubt, this popular saying has been abused by all including the youths who realistically know that the future is out of their hands and that darkness has already set on their chances to change their destiny and that of their nation.

    With the plethora of challenges, problems and issues facing the teeming youths, it is conspicuous that they are no longer the future of the nation. They have been relegated to the seat of redundant spectators in the administration of the country hence the maladministration that characterises the day.

    The situation Nigerian youths find themselves in is saddening and disturbing. Their current status has confirmed that the future of the nation is bleak. The big question begging for answer is where does the future lie? Or with whom does the much talked about future lie?

    The worst scenario is that most Nigerian graduates remain unemployed. This is because they are the reflection of the decayed Nigerian educational sector. Universities on yearly basis churn out graduates yet, employing them remain a mirage. These graduates now compete for the little poorly remunerated jobs available.

    Consequently, fraud, armed robbery, prostitution and other criminal activities have become the order of the day. So sad, government has always sang the song “be self employed” even when they create no environment to realise this. The same government further turns these youths into thugs to achieve their objectives.

    My questions to our leaders at all levels are: were they brought up this way? Have they forgotten that posterity will judge them? Are their children also facing the same problems with majority of other youths whose futures are dwindling seconds after seconds? Why have they turned issues affecting or regarding the youths into rhetorical jamboree? I wonder if they know that those who live in glass houses do not throw stones. They have forgotten that the neglect of the youths has resulted into the abundance of problems that afflicts this nation.

    The time is ripe for leaders at all levels to admit their incompetence in handling youths’ issues and most importantly failure to provide the poor youths the future they deserved. They should know that the country was not handed over to them by their founding fathers the way they have made it to be.

    With the current scenario in the lives of Nigerian youths, they are so frustrated to the extent that they are no longer dreaming of the future not to talk of a bright one.

     

    • Owolagba Blessing

    IBB University, Lapai, Niger State

     

  • Youths urge Fed Govt to strengthen security

    The incessant attacks by members of the Boko Haram sect and the general insecurity in the land were the subjects of discussion at a meeting of the Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN)  in Abuja last week.

    The group urged the Federal Government to be more proactive in tackling the security challenges just as it did during last year’s flooding.

    The group’s National President, Dr. Simon Dolly said the reconciliation moves being proposed to address Boko Haram insurgency can only succeed if certain precautions are taken into consideration.

    He said: “We want the Federal Government to be proactive on the security crisis just the way they treated flooding issues.

    “The victims of the crisis should be compensated before reconciliation. They have to be attended to first before proposing reconciliation and absence of it will show high level injustice. We all want peace, we need dialogue”, he said.

    Dr. Dolly who attributed the tottering progress in the country to lack of forgiveness on the part of Christians, called on Christians to have the heart of forgiveness, tolerate one another and avoid the politics of killing.

    While decrying the state of insecurity, he said, “It is difficult for you to see any Christian youth at the arms of any government affair in the far north, also, Christian Religious Knowledge (CRK) taught in other parts of the country is no longer taught in the north.

    “Our people are displaced because of insecurity, people die virtually every day and the level of suffering of people in the north is very alarming.  This country needs a lot of prayers”, he added.

    Reacting to the issue, the former Minister of Petroleum, Chief Dan Etete urged them to interact with other youth organisation irrespective of the religious belief.

    He explained that elders and leaders are ready to give support to youths but they must make contact with one other. CAN youths, Arewa youths, Afenifere youths, South South youths and other groups should meet from time to time.

    Etete donated N5million to YOWICAN for its upcoming convention.

     

  • Oyo trains youths in skills

    The Oyo State government has trained 46 youths in various skills, including branding and customising, barbing and hairdressing.

    The beneficiaries, who were drawn from the 33 local government areas of the state, received their work equipment at the state secretariat, Ibadan.

    The youths were trained and empowered by the state Agency for Youths Development.

    Presenting the tools to them, the chairman of the agency, Mr Olugbenga Olayemi said it will would bring many more youths on board this year.

    He said that the project, which was a pilot scheme, was initiated after findings showed that only about five per cent of beneficiaries of similar projects in the past are still in business.

    He explained that the agency decided to do something unique by picking willing youths for a two-week intensive training programme undertaken by experts in the three fields.

    Olayemi said: “They were camped at the IYY Training Village at Egbeda, Ibadan where they were fed and trained by experts,” he said.

    After the training, the beneficiaries were placed on a three-month industrial attachment with thriving practitioners for practical knowledge. During the period, the agency sought shops and paid one year rent for each of the participants. It also got the shops ready for business by painting and decorating them.

    “On completion, we bought all the equipment needed for each trade to enable them run their businesses without hindrance and to run it profitably.  For instance, each of those who trained in branding and customising received a complete set of computer, printer, UPS, scanner, iron, standing fan, executive office chair, two plastic chairs, office table, pressing table, carpet, 2.5 Elepaq generator and a flex sign-post.. This is in addition to the shop and offices already rented for them.”

    Olayemi put the cost of empowering each beneficiary at N250,000. He thanked Governor Abiola Ajimobi for supporting the project and disclosed that the number of beneficiaries would increase largely this year.

    But he pointed out that they would not be allowed to sell the equipment due to the monitoring mechanism put in place by the agency.

    One of the beneficiaries who spoke with The Nation, Miss Oluremi Kolawwole, a hairdresser, praised the administration of Governor Abiola Ajimobi for the gesture.

    According to her, she had learnt hairdressing and was looking for funds to set up when the opportunity came. She lauded the training and industrial attachment, saying it enriched her knowledge of hairdressing.

    “I can handle any type of hair-style now. I can do Ghana weaving, fixing, rolling and setting as well as local weaving,” she said.

  • Four youths thrill Anambra

    Four youths thrill Anambra

    For their excellence, four students of the Department of Geology Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU) Awka, Anambra State have lifted the spirits of everyone in the state.

    The quartet, Chibuzo Ahaneku, Chinelo Ezidiegwu, Nnaemeka Okoli and Vivian Oguadinma won this year’s American Association of Petroleum Geologist Imperial Barrel Award (AAPG-IBA).

    Traders, children and the elderly trooped out to join the student population in celebration.

    The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Boniface Egboka, went into a dance. The governor, Mr Peter Obi, praised the youth. Others poured encomiums on the victorious four.

    It was pointed out that their excellence reflected the state government’s efforts in raising education standard.

    The students participated in an annual competition for geosciences students.

    The competition requires that university teams analyse and interpret multiple data sets from selected basins around the world known as seismic data, well logs, formation taps, well reports and literatures.

    The competition which was held at the Peninsula Hotel Lagos had six university teams from different countries in Africa.

    Soon, universities from all the continents of the world will gather at the United States of America to compete for the prestigious global award, including scholarship funds.

    Following their exploits, the institution, the people and the state government rolled out drums to celebrate the all-conquering student team.

    Their mentor, Dr Bernard Odoh who is also the faculty advisor and Ms. Nkechi Egboka were equally celebrated.

    Speaker after speaker, including the state Commissioner for Economic Planning Prof. Stella Okunna and Governor Peter Obi’s Chief of Staff poured encomiums on the students.

    Prof. Okunna said the students’ feat is an indication that Governor Obi’s efforts in lifting the standard of education in the state are not in vain, adding that the fatherly role played by Prof. Egboka and his management team inspired the students.

    Universities from Egypt, Tunisia, Nigeria and other countries in Africa participated in the two-day competition.

    The leader of the team and Faculty Advisor, Dr. Bernard Odoh said what the laurel means is that avenue for employment has been opened for the students not only in Nigeria or Africa, but globally.

    Odoh further recalled that three years ago, the university took the fourth position while in 2012, it came third and capped it up with the first position in 2013.

    The Vice-Chancellor of the institution Prof. Boniface Egboka threw caution to the wind and danced to the admiration of the crowd who joined him.

    Sweating profusely, Egboka declared that the award will be presented to President Goodluck Jonathan in due course through the Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission (NUC).

    Maintaining that standard of education is not falling, he said it is the people that are falling, adding that soon one of the students will travel to Germany for further studies.

    “UNIZIK is doing well, and we are proud of the people here. I feel like a baby. We know why we are here right now and we know where we are going.

    “Though we have shortfalls in funding, students are still excelling. We should provide resources for the schools. This feat should be celebrated in Aso Rock. We are going to write a letter to Mr. President.

    “This has shown that UNIZIK has really arrived in the academic world. We are proud of being members of this school. We will continue to mesmerize the entire world. Our late hero Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe will be proud wherever he is today,” Egboka said.

    However, he warned some politicians to stop misleading and misusing his students by distracting them from their studies, adding that they should allow them to concentrate on their studies to attract further laurels to the state and country.

    Prof. Joseph Ahaneku told Newsextra that what the students had done was part of the transformation agenda of the Federal Government.

    He said: “We are propagating the legacy which the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe left for us and we believe he will be happy in the great beyond.”

    In a chat with Newsextra, Prof. Grey Nwakobi said that the exploits of the students had rubbished the claims from certain quarters that Nigerian graduates are not employable.

    He said that it has equally vindicated the lecturers of the institution, adding that it had become a big challenge to other departments in the institution.

    But for Prof. Paul Orajaka, the students should be given more encouragement by sending them to seminars and international conferences.

    He added that the institution should imbibe a culture of engaging its best brains instead of allowing others to meal on them.

  • 4,000 jobs for youths

    No fewer than 4000 youths in Anambra State are to be employed by the investment arm of the Diocese of Awka,Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion.

    Bishop Alex Ibezim of Awka Diocese made this known while inaugurating a modern printing press tagged Millennium Press, worth over N30 million at Emmaus House, Awka. The press would employ not less than 500 workers at full capacity.

    Bishop Ibezim informed that a non-governmental organisation(NGO) has promised to donate 100 computers to the printing press for timely and efficient job delivery.

    The Bishop said that the diocese had concluded plans to start the best water facility plant in the state comparable only to Eva water as confirmed by the NAFDAC during inspection routine at the proposed plant site.

    He also said the Awka diocese under him would soon start a micro-finance bank as everything needed for its smooth take-off has been concluded.

    The Bishop promised that jobs would be given to school leavers and graduates in different fields.

    ‘’This printing press will give jobs to Nigerians . It is the biggest in Anambra State for international jobs. It will feed families.

    ‘’The quality of people working here and in the other investment interests including the water plant and microfinance bank that would soon open doors to the public is what is important for expansion and growth.

    ‘’The proposal for the water plant is on my table. It is at the last stage and it would be the best water in the South-East as confirmed by NAFDAC that it is comparable to Eva water.

    ‘’I commend the team of the Supervisor , Rev Canon Cyprian Nwankwo , the consultant, Emeka Obikwelu of the Dept of Printing Tech Federal Polytechnic Oko, the Chaplain, Canon Ogbodo among others who contributed to make establishment of the printing press a reality.

    Ibezim noted that Emmaus House has become a business hub in the state but the diocese needed faithful workers with zeal to move its business interests better to enable more hands to be taken away from unemployment.

    In his address , the Supervisor of the Millennium Printing Press , Rev Canon Cyprian Nwankwo reminded that the press was the vision of Right Rev Alexander Chibuzo Ibezim since his consecration and enthronement as Bishop of Awka Anglican diocese to strengthen economic base of the diocese through diversification of investment.

     

    Canon Nwankwo noted that the celebration was the realized goal of the Bishop reminding that printing industry remains an emerging market in Nigeria with lots of expectations and opportunities which every wise investor must take advantage of.

    ‘’The Bishop bought the best printing press equipment in the town with printing options A-Z and in Millennium press he added –we print to please.

    Member of the Investment Committee of the Diocese , Arch Okey Chukwuogo reminded that the diocese spends more than N22 Million in a year to print its materials and that the wisdom in establishing the press could not be over emphasized as it is a tremendous encouragement by the church in fighting unemployment in the society.

     

     

     

  • Group seeks amnesty for Yoruba youths

    Group seeks amnesty for Yoruba youths

    A group of youths in the Southwest, the Oodua Youth Organisation (OYO), has urged the Federal Government to compensate the victims of Boko Haram.

    The group said it was not opposed to amnesty for Boko Haram, if it would end the violence in the North.

    OYO demands that the “empowerment programmes” that always accompany such amnesty, as witnessed in the case of repentant Niger Delta militants, should be extended to youths in the Southwest.

    The group, in a statement by its National Leader, Seun Oduwole; General Secretary Diya Ashaolu and Publicity Secretary Tope Fadahunsi, noted that since amnesty, in the Nigerian context, has become a means through which the state expends huge funds in reforming and engaging otherwise idle and belligerent youths.

    OYO decried the “deliberate marginalisation” of the Southwest by the Federal Government. It urged the government to urgently seek ways of empowering Southwest youths and not wait until they resort to violence like others.

    The group said it was surprised that despite being instrumental to the success of President Goodluck Jonathan at the last presidential election, the Southwest has been neglected in appointments and infrastructure provision.

    OYO said: “Amnesty for Boko Haram must include the empowerment of youths in the region as is the case in the Niger Delta amnesty programme. The Federal Government must also compensate all the victims of the Boko Haram insurgency.

    “We demand that the Federal Government immediately sets up a machinery to empower Yoruba youths. Our youths must benefit in the empowerment programme that follows every grant of amnesty in Nigeria. “

    “The era when our collective resources are used to empower Ijaw youths, while better qualified youths from other regions of the country languish in abject poverty, will no longer be tolerated.

    “The gesture of youth empowerment that naturally flows from the grant of amnesty in Nigeria must immediately be extended to Yoruba youths, as this is the condition for the sustenance of the relative peace prevailing in the region.”

    “We (Yoruba youths) are not unaware of the unprecedented neglect of the Southwest by the administration of President Jonathan.

    “There has been little or no federal presence or benefit in terms of infrastructural development in the Southwest since 2010.”

    The group said it was not an affiliate of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC).

     

  • Why youths are involved in crime, by NBTE chief

    ver 60 per cent of youths are either unemployed or underemployed, the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) Executive Secretary, Dr Mas’udu Kazaure, has said.

    He spoke at the opening of an entrepreneurship sensitisation workshop organised for rectors of polytechnics and provosts of colleges of education at the Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State.

    The two-day workshop was organised by NBTE in conjunction with Covenant University.

    “Officially, over 60 per cent of our youths are either unemployed or under-employed.

    “Consequently, the army of restive youths has resulted in vices, such as increased urban violence, kidnapping and insurgency,” he said.

    He also said the implementation of entrepreneurship programmes is mandatory.

    Kazaure said the accreditation would soon start, adding that the programme is aimed at improving the technical skills of graduates.

    He said research has shown that many graduates of the country’s tertiary institutions are deficient in entrepreneurial skills, adding that, if the trend persisted, Nigeria might wait for long before advancing in technology.

    The secretary said the deficiency was worsening the country’s unemployment situation.

    “It will be a mandatory requirement for accreditation of all programmes beginning from the next accreditation exercise which will commence soon.

    “Such areas as entrepreneurship curriculum, entrepreneurship development centre existence and management, and practical activities being undertaken have been inserted for effective evaluation and assessment during the accreditation exercise,” he said.

    The host and Vice-Chancellor, Covenant University, Prof. Charles Ayo, called for an improved polytechnic system through qualitative programmes and adequate funding.

    “There is nothing much wrong with our education system. All we need is sustainability of good programmes and the implementation of workable policies.

    “We must ensure that polytechnics are encouraged by way of funding and infrastructure in order to get our teeming youths adequately equipped technically to drive our economy,” he said.

    The Rector, Federal Polytechnic, Bali, Taraba, Dr Jen Umaru, said entrepreneurship education was vital to technological advancement.

    “Our challenge in this respect is how to use technical education to develop skilled personnel, which will be geared toward self reliance.

    “You cannot achieve anything in this direction if the students are not competent in entrepreneurship which remains the key to self reliance.

    “The rectors too as chief executives of the respective institutions have a huge role to play in terms of facilitating the disbursement of funds and other issues that will enhance progress of the programme,” he said.

     

  • Youths vandalise vicarage in Delta

    A POLICE van on a peacekeeping mission to avert the burning of the palace of Richard Okorefe, the Ovie of Agbarha-Otor in Ughelli North Local Government of Delta State was set ablaze by irate youths.

    The two-week ‘Ekene’ festival took a violent turn on Wednesday night, following the destruction of the vicarage of St Andrew’s Anglican Church by irate youths.

    The shop of the queen mother was broken intoand valuable items stolen by the rampaging youths.

    It was learnt that the youths invaded the vicarage at 7 pm, destroying property worth thousands of naira and assaulted the Vicar, Ven. Oghomena Edjere and his family.

    A source said someone was seen taking pictures during the festival, which was held around the primary school adjacent to the church.

    “During the festival, photographs, video coverage are prohibited. So when the youths saw him with the camera taking the pictures, they went after him and he ran into the vicarage.

    “The youths chased him into the house and vandalised everything. They stole some of the property and manhandled the family,” the source said.

    About 34 persons have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the mayhem and the Area Commander, Awosola Awotinde, said the suspects would soon be charged to court.