Elechi Lauds Youth On Security

Governor  Martin Elechi of  Ebonyi State has described the youth as the backbone of security in the state.

Receiving a delegation of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College – Senior Course 35, in Abakaliki, Elechi said rather than constitute problems, the youth in the state assisted in providing security for the people.

“Our youths assist security agencies to check incidences of armed robbery, kidnapping and other crimes and this has helped in making the state peaceful,” he said.

According to him, the state government is doing its best to empower its youths in the wake of the challenges facing them.

“On assumption of office in 2007, we used one per cent of our annual budget as stipulated by the PDP campaign manifesto to provide micro-credit facilities for them.“We implemented the programme for two years and though it did not meet our expectations, we were not deterred in implementing policies that would uplift their wellbeing,” he said.

He noted that the government had also sent three batches of youths for agricultural training at the Songhai Farms in Benin Republic.

“On their return from the training, we offered them soft loans to inaugurate their private agricultural ventures such as poultry and piggery, as most of them have become viable. “We also provided them with several skills acquisition opportunities in areas of tailoring and hairdressing, among other ventures and this has made them self-reliant,” he added.

Elechi called for attitudinal change in the type of jobs sought by the youths to check the increasing rate of unemployment.

“Graduates who read courses such as history and sociology do not want jobs connected with agriculture where trained hands are needed.“Youths should be made to take up available jobs and shun the insistence on particular jobs of their choices,” the governor advised.

He urged the study group to avail itself of the state’s hospitality and make available copies of its report to the government for reference purposes.

The leader of the group, Maj.-Gen. Tanko Gaya,  said they were in the state for a study tour that would touch on the peoples’ culture, geography, and security challenges, among others.

“The tour will familiarise the students with socio-economic issues relating to Ebonyi and make recommendations for necessary enhancement,” he said.

He said the tour focused more on issues concerning youth empowerment in the state and that they would make recommendations on strategies to uplift their wellbeing.