Jonathan: How Bayelsa Youths Disappointed Alamieyeseigha
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A former president of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday in Yenagoa lamented how youths from the state failed to take advantage of an opportunity initiated by the pioneer civilian governor of the state, Chief D.S.P Alamieyeseigha to learn how to repair mobile phones.
Jonathan spoke in Yenagoa at the project launch of the Women Entrepreneurship Empowerment Programme, WEEP, an initiative of Dr Itari Turner who is the executive director of Illuminating Minds.
Recalling that the former governor under whose regime he served as deputy governor, had planned to train the youths at the time that GSM had just been introduced into the Nigerian communication space, with the hope that scores of skilled phone repairers from the state would have emerged from the training.
He regretted that even though the youths who were selected for the training actually took part in the training, virtually all of them ended up selling all the starter packs they collected during the training, including generators.
He warned that the 70 persons who have been selected for the training and empowerment in various vocations, under the sponsorship of the Global Health Systems Solutions, GHSS, should make maximum use of the skills and working tools that they were getting from organisers and sponsors of the project.
The state governor, Senator Douye Diri, who was represented by the secretary to the state government, Prof Nimbofa Ayawei, hailed Turner for the initiative and pledged maximum support to enhance continuity.
Itari, who is a daughter of the King of Opume, King A. J. Turner, in her speech recalled how her mother used to trade on the okro on the streets of Port Harcourt without any assistance from anywhere, just to feed the family in her growing up days, and said it was necessary to create an empowerment platform for women to make them continue to support their families.
She said: “Women empowerment is not just a buzzword; it is a necessity for the progress of any society. Across the world, women have proven time and again that when given the right tools, resources and opportunities, they can transform communities, economies and nations.
“Empowering women therefore means empowering families, strengthening economies and building resilient societies. Yet, despite the progress made globally, women, particularly in developing regions like the Niger Delta, continue to face significant barriers to achieving their full potential.”
At the launch, the 70 women, among them widows, were presented to the public as they get ready to get trained and empowered under the pilot scheme.