Gov. Okowa’s Youth Empowerment Programs Not For PDP Youth Alone…..Hope George

Okonta Emeka Okelum, Asaba.

Comrade Hope George, Delta State Chairman, National Youth Council of Nigeria, recently, debunked the allegation state-wide that the on-going youth empowerment programs of the Delta state government were open only to youths loyal to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Addressing journalists shortly after the celebration of this year’s African Youth Day Event, Comrade Hope George, congratulated young Deltans over the relative peace recorded so far in the state.

Responding to allegations about various state sponsored youth empowerment programs being operated with bias, the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on youth development, Comrade George, pressed forward his defence for his boss, the state governor on the subject matter.

Right from onset of the Delta State funded youth empowerment programs, till the last recent two batches, the selection and empowerment process had being opened to all young Deltans, with zero ethnic or political considerations/bias.

The recent reported cases of abuses and beneficiaries’s unwholesome practices the scheme recorded, prompted the state governor to introduce new checks and balances into the scheme.

You, journalists will agree with me that recently, it was reported that the governor caught a former beneficiary attempting to sell off his starter’s pack.

The issue for the need of new beneficiaries having to fill and submit a guarantors form, is one of the strategies the governor introduced with a view to embed credibility into the scheme.

As list of accepted and valid guarantors are drawn from traditional rulers, influential/credible community & religious leaders, entrepreneurs and other persons of reputable characters.

Credibility, value for tax payers fund and keeping with good governance regime, constitute reasons for paradigm shift the state’s youth empowerment programs witnessed, Comrade Hope George explained.

This year’s African Youth Day celebration had as its theme, ‘Promoting Youth Mainstreaming as a Catalyst towards Harnessing the Democratic Dividends’.

Participants at the annual celebration held at Delta State Youth House were drawn from young social media practitioners; National Youth Council Leaders from 25 LGAs of the state; young media experts; young political office functionaries and appointees of the state government; youth-led faith based organizations; youth representatives from various youth voluntary organizations and youth led community based organizations.