The Rivers State Government has urged Local Government Chairmen, law enforcement agents and community leaders to clamp down on leadership of youth bodies in the State that have not undertaken the security profiling initiated by the state government.
The Commissioner for Youth Development, Prince Obi Ohia who stated this at the weekend during the issuance of revalidation certificate exercise to some youth organisations in the state, warned that any community based youth group that had not undertaken the ongoing revalidation process must stop functioning as a youth group.
Ohia said those youth groups who had failed to make use of the revalidation window provided by the State Government should cease operating in the state with immediate effect.
He urged those that had not been profiled by the security agencies and revalidated to ensure that they complied with the State Government’s directive to avoid sanctions.
As a ministry that is saddled with the responsibility to empower and engage the youths in activities that are aimed at assisting them identify and harness their potentials, Ohia assured the youths that their interest is of paramount importance to the government .
The commissioner however, advised youth leaders to exhibit character traits that portray them in good light, adding that as leaders, they must be good followers and good listeners in order to show exemplary leadership.
According to him: “Youth leaders must not make themselves lords but should imbibe team spirit and initiate laudable programmes and activities that can attract meaningful development and peace to your domain”.
Ohia further advised that they should work selflessly for the development of their various communities and in the interest of the State at large.
He urged those community based youth bodies who have not conducted elections to do so urgently, stressing that the revalidation doesn’t mean automatic reelection to the various groups’ executives.
“The certificate issued today should not be a means or an excuse to elongate your tenure. If your tenure is over or about to end, please conduct peaceful elections.
“Be informed that we have your constitution and the profile of the body, if your case comes before us, we know what to do”, he warned.
While issuing the certificates, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Roland Obed Whyte disclosed that about 55 certificates would be issued to those youth bodies who have successfully completed the rigorous process of revalidation and commended staff for working assiduously to ensure the success of the programme.
Earlier, the Youth President of Kula and Eleme, Ekine Japuso Ibina and Prince Brain Emerekukpa, commended the State Governor for lifting the ban on youth activities and applauded the level of youth inclusion in politics which, according to them, has produced the present commissioner who in their opinion, is a worthy ambassador of youths in the state.
They assured that the various youth groups would be law abiding as hooliganism and criminality would no longer be condoned in the communities and the state at large.