The Chairman of Igbo Etiti Local Government Area in Enugu State, Hon. Malachy Agbo, has expressed deep concern over the rate of unemployment among the youths of the area, especially graduates.
Agbo made this known while declaring open an empowerment programme titled, “Enugu North Senatorial District’s Youth Empowerment via Graduate Entrepreneurship Training” at the council’s headquarters in Ogbede.
The event was attended by hundreds of unemployed youths that had gathered to participate in the programme initiated and sponsored by the Senator representing Enugu North Senatorial zone, Senator Chukwuka Utazi.
Agbo lamented the current lot of the youths who despite doing much to equip themselves with education remained unemployed many years after leaving school.
While commending them for being of good behaviour in the face of the challenges, he urged them to fully avail themselves of the opportunities offered by the programme by acquiring skills that are currently prized and in tune with the current demands of the society.
“Your presence in your large numbers truly indicates that Igbo Etiti is indeed a manpower base. But it is one that needs to be empowered as a lot will happen if your vast human resources are positively harnessed”, Agbo said.
“We have continued to canvass for this at the different fora we have been to, like the last time the people of Igbo Etiti visited His Excellency, the governor. That is also why what our dear Senator Utazi is doing in trying to lead you back to self rediscovery and empowerment is most commendable”, Agbo explained.
In further praising the initiative of the Senator, the Chairman posited that whoever saw the need to intervene in the lives of youths must not only be commended but also be encouraged to do more since that was a right move towards securing the future of the society they represented.
On his part, Senator Utazi explained that having captured the data of the participants, it would be processed for a more practical engagement that would see them go through training, mentorship by experts and eventual business sponsorship.
He engaged the participants in a two-part, five-hour mind empowerment lectures that touched the essential components of individual behaviour that most often times limited human potentials.
Senator Utazi during the lecture cited many nuggets of wisdom to push for attitudinal change among the youths while encouraging them to think and act more positively, using many personal anecdotes and life experiences to buttress his points.
The youths said they saw in the Senator a man who had tasted success after navigating through the many storms of life, and as such wished to motivate and support them to climb their own hills for the actualization of their lofty dreams.
The programme had earlier berthed at other local governments of the district and would continue until all areas had been visited and all interested youths were reached, trained and empowered.
