Gov. Hope Uzodinma of Imo has reiterated commitment to harnessing and developing the potentials of youths for a better society.
Uzodimma gave the assurance on Friday in Owerri in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Oguwike Nwachukwu to commemorate the 2022 International Youth Day (IYD).
He said that the “greatest assets every society can boast of are the youth demography.”
The governor added that his government would support the youth in the state and beyond to attain their potentials in life through youth centered policies.
According to him, this government will continue to create an enabling environment that will serve as a catalyst to the youth toward achieving their God-given dream.
He recalled that love for the youth and recognition of their position in the society were part of the reasons his administration had empowered thousands of youths in the state with direct appointments.
Udozinma noted that he had continued to empower more through training and retraining on different skill acquisitions and capacity building of their choice.
“As leaders of tomorrow, no investment made in our youth is misplaced.
“And such investment cannot also be said to be enough. For us, therefore, we will continue to invest in our youth in Imo, believing that we will reap the full benefits one day,” he said.
Uzodinma advised them to be law abiding and to desist from anti-social demeanour like drug abuse, trafficking, armed robbery, kidnapping, banditry, violence, rape, prostitution and other forms of social vices.
He further advised the youth to shun all entreaties to be drafted into any act that would entail their being used to abridge the peace and unity of Imo and by extension, the country as experienced currently.
He urged them to shun politicians who might want to engage them as thugs for political activities in order to instigate crises and destabilise the government of the day.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme for the 2022 International Youth Day (IYD) is ‘Intergenerational solidarity: Creating a world for all ages”.
The IYD is an awareness day designated by the United Nations to draw attention to a given set of cultural and legal issues surrounding the youth.
It is a day set aside to honour the positive traits of young people, acknowledge the challenges and limitations they face trying to attain their potentials, with a view to helping them overcome those difficulties.