By Bassey Nkponam
UYO
The Akwa Ibom government has announced a lineup of empowerment schemes for youths across the 31 local government areas of the State.
This gesture by government is in appreciation of the non-participation of Akwa Ibom youths in the August 1, 2024 – August 10, 2024 nationwide protest against the economic situation in the State, occasioned by the fuel subsidy removal policy ofPresident Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Recall that the State governor, Pastor Umo Eno, had in different for a, after the protest, promised to reciprocate the honour done the State government by the youths in their non-participation in the protest.
The empowerment schemes include a one-off business support scheme of N50,000 each to 60,000 youths (5000 monthly)within one year; supporting 10,000 youths through the ARISE Entrepreneurial Scheme, an empowerment initiative for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) based on needs assessment; employment of 3000 youths(100 per local governmentarea, excluding Uyo) through the Ibom Community Watch, to provide crowd control and complimentary intelligence gathering at the grassroot, in addition to the 550 youths already engaged from Uyo; a paid training at the Dakkada Skills Acquisition Center (DASAC) for 1000 participants across the 31 local government areas with a monthly transport allowance of N20,000 per person, throughout the training duration; increased bursary for students in public tertiary institutions from N10,000 to N20,000 for undergraduates, and from N10,000 to N30,000 for professional students studying courses in Law, Medicine, Engineering, Agriculture, among others, for 20,00O students in the 2024/2025 academic session; educational grant for 1000 public tertiary institution students living with disabilities at N250,000 for undergraduates and N300,000 for professional and postgraduate students, while 2, 000 youths would benefit from the Entrepreneurial Accelerator Programme (EAP) organised by Ibom-LED, with N500,000 grant and N250,000 start-up capital and support for 3,000 youths in agribusiness.
Eno, who announced the empowerment scheme, Tuesday, at a youth appreciation and engagement rally which took place at the Uyo Township Stadium to express his government’s gratitude to the youths for their non-participation in the recent #Endbadgovernance protest, directed the Ministry of Labour and Manpower Development and the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on ICT, to create a database for youth employment through which names, based on required qualifications, will be harvested for employment by both the State government, investors and other organisations operating in the State, and for selection of beneficiaries for the various proposed empowerment schemes.
The governor, as a show of joy over the recent promotion of the State’s female team, Ibom Angels, from the second division to Division 1 of the Nigeria Women Football League, announced the State government’s donation of N20 million and a coaster bus to the team.
He reaffirmed his plans to unbundle the Ministry of Youths and Sports Development and create a separate Ministry for Youth Development in the next dispensation of the State Executive Council, to be headed by a commissioner, not older than 45 years.
Eno thanked security agencies in the state for their cooperation and support in ensuring peace at all times, while condoling with the Nigeria Police over the demise of the commissioner in charge of Akwa Ibom State Command, Late CP Waheed Ayilara.
He appreciated the youths in different groups for showing good followership, saying, “Today, we are inspired by your followership, your obedience, and your love from every local government in Akwa Ibom, from every group and every campus. We are inspired by your love and support that has ensured we have one Akwa Ibom State.
“We are inspired by the fact that you listened to our plea not to join the protest, not because we don’t believe in protest or not aware of what is going on in the country, but because we know that there are people that are always on standby to hijack the most peaceful protest to destroy and vent their anger on government facilities.
“Our leaders have worked so hard in the past 37 years of the creation of our dear state to put thse infrastructures in place, but you know that one minute of anger could destroy all the hard work. Just like our past national anthem said, the labours of our heroes past must never be in vain. So we thank you,” he added, noting, “We are here to say thank you to all the Akwa Ibom youths. In all your different groups, thank you so much for showing good followership.
“Most times we talk about leadership in our country, we do not take time to look at followership also, and I believe that when we have good followers, we will have good leadership,” the governor said.
The commissioner for youths and sports development, Sir Monday Uko, while setting the tone at the event, recalled the protest, the non-participation of Akwa Ibom youths and Gov Umo Eno’s promise to celebrate them, describing the event as an affirmation of Eno’s integrity as a promise keeper.
A former president of the Student Union Government in the University of Uyo, and former speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, MrOnofiok Luke, Esq, who saw the importance of the rally within the scope of incarcerations, lives lost and properties destroyed during the #endSARS protest, noted that Akwa Ibom youths were saved from such troubles by heeding the plea of the governor not to partake in it, describing the rally as a worthy celebration.
The chairman, House Committee on Youths, Sports and Security, MrUwemedimoh Asuquo;senior special assistant to the governor on Youth Mobilisation, Comrade Iniobong Akpan, that of Grassroots Mobilisation, Mr Aniefiok Iwaudofia, and other stakeholders, also thanked the governor for keeping to his promise, reassuring him of the youths’ commitment to good followership.
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