Nasarawa state Governor-Elect, Engr Abdullahi Sule says his principal is determined to empower many youths across the 13 local government and development areas of the state once sworn in as the next governor of the state.
Mallam Sanusi Aliyu, the media aide to the governor-elect, told newsmen in Lafia on Thursday that youth empowerment was one of the focal priorities of the governor-elect.
He said the focus on youth empowerment was a decision aimed at making many restless and unemployed youths self-reliant thereby enhancing the socio-economic activities in the state.
“His Excellency, the governor-elect, Engr Abdullahi Sule is a strong advocate of youth empowerment and sees the youths as the backbone of every society because, without them, nothing meaningful can be achieved in any society. That is why he has made youth empowerment an important priority after he is sworn in,” he said.
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The media aide added that aside from the pledge to empower more youths, the governor-elect intends to carry along and involve youths in the running of his administration hence his close relationship with the state branch of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) and other youth groups in the state.
“His Excellency is already in constant contact with the leadership of NYCN and other youth groups in the state because he sees them as very important stakeholders in his administration. He has made it clear that he won’t take decisions affecting youths without consulting them,” he said.
He assured that the incoming administration of Engr Sule would continue to promulgate policies that would improve the living conditions of the people and also ensure partnership with the private sector in a way to involve local, small and medium-scale businesses in the state to improve the economic wellbeing of the youths.
Aliyu then showered encomiums on the current state governor, Umar Al-Makura for formulating policies and programmes that are youth-friendly and even engaging thousands of them as Nasarawa State Youth Empowerment Scheme (NAYES) cadets.
He said his boss has pledged to sustain and strengthen the policies of Governor Al-Makura administration aimed at liberating the youths, giving them a sense of belonging and making them self-reliant.
Aliyu, however, admonished youths to be law abiding and eschew from acts capable of heating up the polity adding that the state under the leadership of Governor Al-Makura has been able to stabilize the peaceful co-existence amongst the citizenry in the state.