..Empowers 700 Ekiti youths, women with business skills
The Federal Lawmaker representing Ekiti Central Senatorial District of Ekiti State, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has declared that the 10th Senate to be inaugurated in June will play complementary role for the actualisation of the well- articulated youth programmes of the President- elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Bamidele, who was reelected during the February 25 National Assembly Election, expressed delight that the 25% annual budgetary proposal by Tinubu to youth intervention programmes and the education loan, would go a long way in tackling joblessness and poverty among Nigerian productive population.
Espousing further his unflagging belief in youth development, Bamidele, said he had in the last four years invested several millions of naira to empower his constituents in vocational and entrepreneurial training to boost their contributions to economic development.
The Chairman , Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, spoke in Ado Ekiti, on Saturday, during an empowerment training he organised for women and youths to expose them to entrepreneurial and money-spinning ventures.
The programme was predominantly centred around vocational development training, capacity building for youth in agricultural value chain, capacity building training for youth and women in aquaculture as well as capacity building training in post harvest loss control.
Bamidele, represented by his Senior Legislative Aide, Hon Bunmi Oguntuase, said the spiraling and geometric increase in youth unemployment in the country, has become a snag to leaders at all levels of governance, saying the President-elect is coming to tackle this challenge and return dignity to the Nigerian youths.
The Senator added that era when youths were being treated with scorn and disdain was over with Tinubu’s victory at the presidential poll, assuring that youth development will occupy the centrestage under the incoming administration at the Federal level.
Bamidele appealed to the youths to have unshaking confidence in the ability of the incoming All Progressives Congress-led government under Tinubu to bring the long eluded succour that would launch them back to reckoning in the country.
The Federal lawmaker said; “Since 1999, budgetary provisions to the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development had been abysmal at both state and federal levels. This largely contributed to the level of unemployment and the relegation of the youth population.
“But with Tinubu’s ascendancy, all these will be addressed properly. The President -elect promised 25% of our budgetary estimate will be allotted to the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development to undertake all manners of intervention programmes that will empower our youths and make them relevant.
“Most importantly, he had promised that part of his mission is to establish an Education Loan for students to have access to funds to complete their education. This is one area of focus that will mitigate school dropouts and shore up our literacy level.
“I am convinced that the 10th Senate when inaugurated will key into this lofty and soul-lifting agenda. Focusing on our youths is one issue that is staring all of us in the face and I am convinced that the Tinubu’s agenda will address this adequately”.
Bamidele stated that the 700 trainees drawn from the five local governments in the district, were carefully selected and trained based on their areas of interests, assuring that funds would be provided for them to establish their own business outfits, rather than being job seekers.
The APC chieftain added further that his constituents won’t regret reelecting him, saying he would rev the pedal of development in the area when inaugurated, by playing complementary roles to Tinubu and Governor Biodun Oyebanji youth-driven policies at the federal and state levels.