George Alli: Setting the pace, healing society’s ills through youth empowerment, entrepreneurship

By; Jubril Oche Ekwote

In simple term, the process of supporting or assisting an individual or group of persons to discover and claim personal power, either social, political or economic power is what the word “empowerment” entails.

A well respected Elderstateman from Northern Nigeria, Late Alhaji Maitama Sule once said that the rising insecurity in the North is directly traced and linked to the neglect, abandonment and non empowerment of the Northern youths.

That is to say that the foundation and root cause of insecurity, social vices and almost all the ills in our society is not far from the neglect, abandonment and non empowerment of the youth which constitute a greater percentage of the society population.

One may be easily pardon to say that once the youth are not empowered and meaningfully engaged by either the government or elites, out of sheer ignorance, they can easily toe the path of taking law into their hands, living and surviving by any means possible, legally or illegally.

The ills in our society, most especially Benue South are enormous. Joblessness, idleness and lack of skills has plunged most of our youths into committing crimes and engaging in social vices such as prostitution, drug addiction, cultism and many others. Our society is drifting towards continental subduction (apology to Sen. Dino Milaye) and there is urgent need to put up preventive measures or total remedy.

Hon. George Alli, the Chairman of Otukpo LGA of Benue State is one of the few innovative, ideological, result oriented, creative and 21st century leader we have in Benue with progressive and positive mindset towards his “subjects” with total commitment and passion for human capacity building/empowerment and infrastructural development.

Since he assumed office as Chairman of Otukpo LGA, his infrastructural development projects such as rural community electrification, road construction, health centre and classroom building and equipping etc and pro masses policy are visible to the blind and audible to the deaf. Even in the face of scanty and minimal resources, his zeal to work always makes him to be setting the pace while few of his colleagues are following gradually.

A leader must be an avid thinker and a problem solver. To solve a problem, you must identify the problem and its causes. That is exactly what Chief. George Alli has done by identifying that joblessness and lack of skills remains the basic cause of youth involvement in crime and social vices and immediately commence the building of a befitting “YOUTH EMPOWERMENT/ENTREPRENEURSHIP CENTRE” in Otukpo LGA to solve this identified problem. Hon. George Alli realized that once the youths are trained, acquire skills and meaningfully engaged in one or two productive ventures, they’ll become more responsible, self dependent and will have no time to engage in social vices.

The Youth Empowerment/Entrepreneur Centre which will be completed and officially commissioned in few weeks from now at Otukpo will be first of its kind in Benue South, if not the entire Benue courtesy a local government Chairman. The centre, according to Chief. Alli, will be equipped with both human and material resources for the training of youths in skills such as soap making, hair dressing, barbing, shoe making, tailoring, phone repairs, plumbing, electronics repairs, welding, poultry, fishery etc, after which they shall be set up to practice on their own and become self dependent.

The building of this centre by Hon. George Alli will not be a succour to only youth unemployment but may also be an opportunity and platform for NGO’s, CSO’s, Idoma Elites and Leaders whom may be willing to contribute their own quota towards youth EMPOWERMENT to partner or make use of the centre which will be equipped with the necessary material and human resources.

Thank you Hon. George Alli for this wonderful and commendable initiative/project that will take many of our jobless youth off the street to become self dependent, entrepreneurs and billionaires. If other LG chairmen in zone c or Benue at large can toe your path and extend similar gesture towards the youth, then, there is hope of a brighter future for Benue Zone C youth.