Okowa Advocates Skill Acquisition As Panacea for A New Delta Economy
DELTA State Governor, Senator (Dr.) Ifeanyi Okowa has advocated the use of skill acquisition by youths to build a new face for the economic development of the Niger Delta region.
Governor Okowa stated this at the Delta Online Publishers Forum (DOPF) 2021 Annual Lecture held at Orchid Hotel, Asaba on Thursday, October 21, 2021.
Represented by his Chief of Staff, Barr. Festus Ovie Agas, the governor stated that the issue of skill acquisition should be an agenda to the people of the region in order to create and build a human population that will add value to the region, to change the current narrative of unemployment of majority of the people, and dependence on the oil resources as the only means of employment.
Governor Okowa who drummed support for skills acquisition of youths as a way of diverting their minds from crime since there is scarcity of jobs in the country noted that all the nine governors in the Niger Delta have policies and programmes aimed at changing the lives of people in the region.
He pointed out that his administration through its various policies on youth development has created a stream of future economic power house, as many are now employers of labour, adding that all the governors that have governed the state have invested in the lives of the people of the state, even as he re-emphasised that the state has invested much in the security of lives and property.
The governor noted that the Guest Speaker at the event with the theme, “Niger Delta Economy: Building a new face for the region” and his immediate predecessor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan was eminently qualified to address the issues of the Niger Delta and proffer solutions to the Niger Delta question, adding that the former governor contributed immensely to the peace being enjoyed in the region as he worked tirelessly during his administration to build and sustain peace in the oil rich region.
He added that security is the responsibility of all, reaffirming that the state has a lot of programmes tailored towards improving the lives of the state’s residents and diverting their minds from criminal tendencies and stated that the issues raised by the former governor while delivering his lecture titled: ‘Niger Delta: Building a New Face For The Region” will be applied to raise the living standard of all Deltans.
Governor Okowa expressed agreement that the purpose of government is for the welfare, protection and security of lives and property and noted that government cannot provide all the needs of the citizens.
He congratulated members of DOPF for their interest in the development of the Niger Delta Region, adding that the theme for the 2021 event is a wakeup call for the region to work earnestly to change the narrative of the area.
Earlier, in his welcome address, the Chairman of DOPF, Delta State, Mr. Emmanuel Enebeli had stated that the theme for the 2021 event became necessary as the area which produces the wealth of the nation, over the years have continuously not shown signs of development, as they are yet to get the true value of the black gold that is reserved in their communities, calling for new channels of development plan for the region, also filled with other resources, and a very beautiful waterfront that can be harvested for the good of the people, he added.
Enebeli also condemned the continuous dependent of governments of the region on allocation from the federation.
