SKILLS ACQUISITION, YOUTHS EMPOWERMENT” LL SECURE OUR SOCIETY- ENGR. EMEH

By Our Reporter

Touched by the plight of jobless Imo youths in the streets, an NGO, Advocates for Ethical and Positive Values Re-Orientation and Humanitarian Network has purposefully undertaken to re-jig the potentials and talents of Imo youths through skill acquisition and empowerment for enhanced youth development.

According to the Director-General of the organization, Mr. Sunny Emeh, the bracket of the unemployed youths today in Nigeria is expanding in leaps and bounds that if unchecked, will snap or further threaten the protracted and already tensile state of crime and insecurity in our society.

The Network, being on re-orientation has therefore, specifically marked out year 2024 as a year of training for youths in skill acquisition and empowerment to foster the needed employment and entrepreneurial skills for these neglected youths.

The mission and vision of the Advocates for Ethical and Positive Values Re-Orientation and Humanitarian Network therefore, is aimed at achieving a better society where men, women, youths and children are fully beneficiaries in our socio-economic, cultural and political development in an atmosphere of safety and to see Nigeria as a peaceful, productive and prosperous nation.

However, like a popular adage says, two cannot walk together except they agree. Therefore, this Humanitarian Network with her international partners like Light on Africa, Global Solar Services etc. have strategized to work and seek the co-operation of communities from diverse backgrounds: autonomous communities, churches, institutions, social organizations, interest groups and other stakeholders to locate and sponsor these idle and vulnerable youths with just a support logistically to secure their future in the end.

The general concept of this rebuild project is born out of reviving the old Igbo ideology and tradition that “Nwa wu nwa oha” and “Agbataobi onye wu nwanne Ya” – a situation where communities raise funds to execute signature projects like training brilliant sons and daughters for the benefit of sundry, building community halls, markets and other relevant developmental projects. So, we are here, soliciting sincere community efforts to alleviate the plight of our yet to be employed youths.

The coming on stream of this project therefore, is very apt as it has been proven that government alone cannot develop her citizens.

Emeh said, “This project therefore, is meant to be able to secure our future because as it is now, the future is not what some of us saw when we were growing up and what’s the cause of it? Because we allowed the youths to go astray. Like one of my friend former governor says ‘The society we abuse today, will take revenge tomorrow’ That’s what we’re saying, we failed to invest in the youths which is our future. Now those things have come back to torture us”.

Our society today does not need glasses to see that the problem of insecurity in the state and South East at large is basically traceable to youth unemployment which needs to be tackled headlong by providing them access to learning one trade or the other to guarantee their future and ours also. It’s good to give our youths fish but more veritable to teach them how to fish by themselves rather than handing them stipends that could not meet their individual or family needs. Therefore, to train them in areas that will be useful to them against the backdrop of crime and insecurity prevalent in our climes is a priority.

This project indeed, as could be discerned is an olive branch being extended to the neglected youths of Imo extraction and beyond, a rare opportunity of self-actualization and empowerment beckoning on these numerous jobless youths to tap into, develop their potentials and take their rightful places in the fast dwindling and nose-diving economic situation of Nigeria.

Based on the foregoing, Emeh further stated “the training will be free of charge, so we want to partner with them.”

The Solar power DG emphasized that the organization has what it takes to move round and train these youths anywhere once the logistics are duly in place. So, once there’s a genuine desire to help ride out this unemployment storm, it must be followed with a true commitment from the partnering ‘communities’ as one cannot make omelets without breaking eggs.

He extended hands of fellowship to interest groups particularly communities and philanthropists who believe they want to sow to the lives of the society and assuring them of the network’s unalloyed cooperation.

Sunny believe,  that even after training, some of the equipment to start could be procured.

The DG went further to outline a few professional areas that these youths could benefit from including: Solar Power and CCTV installation, Printing, Confectionery, and other lucrative youth-friendly businesses.

The Chairman and Consultant of Global Solar Services, Mr. Sunny Emeh have used his position and skill over the years to assist others for a better society as he believes in the saying that “The rich cannot sleep if the poor is hungry.” Carrying people along and transfer of knowledge is the way to go in the fight against youth unemployment, crime and insecurity.