Jonathan Urges States To Emulate FG’s Job Creation

[TGD]

 Anambra Empowers 1,500 Youths

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has advised the 36 states and Abuja to cue into the Federal Government's job creation programme to reduce unemployment and crime in the country.

Jonathan, who was represented by the Minister of Labour, Chief Emeka Wogu at the Phase II Awards ceremony and flag off of Phase III of Anambra Youth Re-orientation and Empowerment Programme (ANSYREP) during which over N100 million was given to 1,500 youths who just completed training in skill acquisition in Awka, said if states cue into the programme known as YOUWIN  to which the federal government has set aside N50 billion, cash will be given to over 6,000 youths during the first round of the training, to complement job creation efforts of each state government.

Wogu praised Governor Peter Obi for helping the youths actualize their dreams through several job creation efforts he has made through Anambra Integrated Development Strategy (ANIDS). According to him, empowering the youth gives them a sense of belonging and reduces unemployment.

In a moving speech to the beneficiaries who were handed over cheques, Obi said: "You have the ideas that can change the world. There are people who want what you can provide. You can do it. It is a matter of saying I can move from here to there. You can change here and change Nigeria."

Obi told the youths to be prudent with money given to them as this is not the time to change wardrobe and marry a wife.

The governor said Anambra, by yesterday's empowerment programme, "which came after a detailed capacity building programme, has set a new standard in youth development by incorporating character and moral values into what would ordinarily have been treated as a vocational training, or skills acquisition programme."

Obi noted that the National Coordinator of National Poverty Eradication Programme, Dr. Magnus Kpakol once rated Anambra lowest in the country and singled the state out as foremost in terms of commitment to fighting poverty.

The coordinator of Anambra ANSYREP Dr. Okey Ikechukwu, organizers of the programme in conjunction with the state government, said that the initial target of the training programme was 3,000 but it eventually trained 5,131 and this was shared among the communities and non-political groups.



The Guardian