The Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has urged the Federal Government to resuscitate Warri Port to create employment for the youths.
Okowa who decried the high rate of unemployment in the state, also called on the management of the port to make it more viable to attract investors and create job opportunities.
The governor made the call at the weekend, during a Town Hall meeting with the youths comprising #EndSARS protesters, civil society groups, students, social groups and community leaders across Delta South and Delta Central Senatorial districts.
He said that with the congestion of the ports in Lagos State, the Federal Government should resuscitate the Warri Port and other seaports in Delta in order to create employment opportunities for the youths and also accelerate the nation’s economic growth.
Okowa said his administration had adopted skills acquisition and entrepreneurship programmes to empower the youths in the state.
“We will try to improve our processes of helping our youths to acquire skills and provide them with starter packs.
“The more active ports we have, the better for the nation; our economy isn’t working the way it ought to work because Lagos is congested.
“The Warri channel needed to be dredged and the Federal Government has awarded phase one of the dredging but until phase two is awarded, we will not be able to achieve any success story on that”, Okowa said.
He thanked the youths for coordinating themselves peacefully, assuring them that his administration would continue to address some of the issues raised.
The governor pointed out that town hall meetings were opportunity carved out to hear from the people directly in order to provide solutions to issues bothering them.