The Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri has again called on Bayelsa youths to avail themselves of government’s empowerment programmes to be self reliant and contribute to societal development .
Senator Diri made the call at the graduation ceremony of 366 youths organised by the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
The Governor while congratulating the graduants for exhibiting commitment, good character and the desire to acquire the needed skills also appreciated the resource persons for their time, commitment and the will to ensure the the graduants become proficient in their various trades.
He noted that his administration is determined to build the capacity of Bayelsa youths to change the narrative and move away from the stereotype that Bayelsa is a Civil Service State to a Stste with skilled individuals and entrepreneurs, adding that as pioneer of the SDGs they are suppose to Impact themselves and others as that is the only way to share to Bayelsans.
He called on the teeming youths to desist from crime and criminality and acquire skills instead of looking for non existing white collar jobs, saying that those who have graduated from the University should also take advantage of skill training programme of the Prosperity Government.
“I called on all our youths to take advantage of all the empowerment programmes the Prosperity Government is embarking on. You do not need to carry gun to threaten a woman to collect her phone. Because your brain is as good as the brain of the other person, it is a question of opportunity and opportunity is here provided for you.Turn away from crime and criminality and become good citizen who is useful not only to yourself but to society in general.
” And for the few youths who are giving us bad name they need to change, because Bayelsa youths are high up there both in skills and academics. If you go to contruction sites, you will see Bayelsa youths working. We want to change the story. We don’t want to see Togolese doing tiling and POP for us. We want to see Bayelsa youths doing tiling and POP for us.
” That is why we setting up technical colleges across the eight local government areas of the state in addition to the interventions we are giving to our youths.”
Governor Diri appreciated the Senior Special Assistant to the President Buhari on. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for building one of the best Mother and Child Specialist Hospital in Yenagoa and equiping same with the state of the art medical equipment in addition to contruction of 24 class room blocks at Science Technical College, Okaka as well as others projects in the state.
Bayelsa State Governor however appealled to the Federal Government through the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs to pay to Bayelsa the marching grant for 2021 and 2022 to enable the state carry out more empowerment programmes.
Earlier in his welcome remarks, the Bayelsa State Focal Person and the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, Dr. Ebiwari Wariowei said the programme was put together in line with the Government’s mantra of prosperity for all Bayelsans, stating that the programme has yielded the needed success as all the graduants have been provided starter packs and provided with stores for their businesses.
Wariowei stated that the graduants will not only self reliant but employers of labour for other youths, adding that the training programme was intended not only to take the teeming unemployed Bayelsans out of the labour market but to serve an veritable platform for the small and medium scale enterprises to thrive.
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