NAN-H-62
Empowerment
By Martha Agas
Jos, May 24, 2017(NAN) The Plateau Youth Council (PYC) said on Wednesday it had begun craving the support of NGOs, governments and philanthropists toward funding a vocational training scheme to empower youths.
Its National President, Dr. Fabong Yildam, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jos that part of the funds realised would be given as start-off grants to the youths on completion of the training programme.
Yildam, who was sworn in on Monday, said that the council was not only worried, but frightened by the rising number of indolent youths roaming the streets.
“It is dangerous to have so many young and strong people staying idle. If society does not care for them, the devil will happily engage them,” he said.
Yildam regretted that the PYC had been dormant for 10 years, but stated that the reconstitution of a new executive council had provided a platform for addressing issues affecting the youths.
He said that youths would be assisted to engage in agricultural businesses, especially since that sector had become very lucrative.
“The agricultural value chain does provide an avenue for a lot of hands to be meaningfully engaged. We will facilitate start up grants through Micro-finance agencies,” he said.
The president said that PYC shall also mobilise youths to participate in politics, while others would protect electoral materials to forestall rigging.
“We shall also contact the Federal Character Commission and representatives of Plateau at the National Assembly to track down whatever is due to us, especially our job quotas,” he said.
The 38-year-old youth leader decried the myriad of challenges facing the country’s youths, and identified some of them to include instability in the education system, youth restiveness, drug abuse and unemployment.
He said that he would soon organise a youth summit in collaboration with the Plateau Peace Building Agency, to map out plans for the reconciliation, reintegration and recreation of the youths.
“At the end of the summit, a youth development plan will be adopted. We will also create a youth data bank as a platform for youths’ engagement, employment, entrepreneurship and empowerment,” he said.
NAN reports that the council had been in the doldrums since 2007, following a dispute over its leadership. (NAN)
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Edited by Bayo Sekoni and Ephraims Sheyin