As a part of measures to check youth restiveness, the Bayelsa State Government has mapped out training programmes for its teeming youths, aimed at empowering and putting them in the right stead to be able to compete favourably with their contemporaries from other parts of the country.
To this end, youths in the state have been urged to key into the restoration agenda of the Governor Seriake Dickson-led administration by availing themselves of the various youth empowerment programmes being put in place.
Governor Dickson made the plea during an interactive session with members of the newly established Bayelsa State Youth Development Committee at the Banquet Hall of Government House, in Yenagoa.
According to the Governor, “some of such programmes are being fine- tuned to enhance the capacity of youths and make them contribute their quota to the development of the state.”
The Governor noted that there are several empowerment programmes in the offing for them in the areas of agriculture, training in other fields both within and outside the country as well as develop policies that would cater for about five thousand youths.
Hon. Dickson stated that already, government has awarded scholarships from primary to Post Graduate levels and urged them to prevail other youths across the State to advantage of the programmes to improve themselves and be more useful to society.
He declared that, “we are in a new Bayelsa and we want to work with the young people to take responsibility for their future.
“Those days when youths feel that some other persons should be responsible for their lives, which was a life of slavery occasioned by what has happened in the country, our people have had a mentality of over-dependence on others.
“I want to work with you to teach our boys and girls how to earn a living and be respectable”.
Governor Dickson remarked that he was appreciative of their support especially during his campaign, describing them as the true heroes of the prevailing peace and stability in the state.
The Governor urged his representatives on Youths in charge of the various Local Government areas to work closely with the youths and sensitize others on the various ongoing programmes and policies of government.
He also urged the youths not to allow themselves to be used by self seeking politicians to divert the attention of government from effecting the desired changes in the polity.
Responding, a representative of the youths, Mr. Odimiekumo Ogori thanked Governor Dickson for the empowerment programmes being packaged for the youths.
He also hailed the Governor for the various construction projects in the state, adding that his works would speak for him.
