In his inaugural address to his global audience in 1960, President John Fitzgerald Kennedy of the United States of America described poverty as a long-term enemy man that had to be tackled pragmatically with ideas that put the greater number of people in greater amount of comfort, happiness and peace.
To achieve these ideals, strategic planning, superior but beneficial alternatives, thinking out of the box by leaders and people-centred programmes have come handy to lift humanity from the misery of poverty to the miracle of abundant and better living.
In 2011, the Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola introduced his administration’s youth intervention programme tagged the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) as part of the activities marking his first 100 days in office.
The scheme has not just taken its roots, it has empowered over 40,000 youths with life changing skills top become better citizens. From their rustic pedestrian living, the volunteers have broken free from poverty to become employers of labour. With savings from their monthly stipend of ten thousand Naira (N10,000.00) per month per volunteer, it was shocking to discover how they have turned their meagre income into small and cottage scale business concerns with further assistance from their relations.
OYES has, since 2011, become acclaimed, both locally and internationally, as a credible initiative that must be replicated and domesticated by different levels of government in Nigeria.
Recently, a team of reporters went round all the development and administrative zones of the Osun State recently to assess the impact, if any of OYES through a feedback from past volunteers. The scheme had gulped a huge sum of N200,000,000.00 monthly as stipend for the 20,000 volunteers. Inquisitively, reporters felt that once the government had committed an annual expenditure of N1.2 billion to OYES, it was time to look at what impact it created in the state.
The reportorial team was conducted round by Mr, Jamiu Omokose, who was nominated by retired Colonel Enibukun Oyewole, the tough and no-nonsense Commandante of OYES, to lead journalists to the homesteads and business places of the past volunteers of the youth/social intervention scheme across the state. The plan was to make reporters see firsthand, the success story of OYES.
Newsmen, during the three-day trip around the state factually found that the scheme has changed the stories of many of the volunteers who spoke on camera and audio tapes about how they partook in the scheme and how the initiative of Governor Aregbesola administration changed their stories for good.
The first volunteer, a Bachelor’s degree holder, Margaret Olusola Oromakinde of Sanmi Omisakin road, Ife City College Area, Ile-Ife described OYES as the changer of her destiny in life as she is presently running two different businesses of Patent Medicine store and a Computer Centre.
She told journalists that “I was nobody before I joined OYES. I am a university graduate. I graduated in the year 2006 from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife where I studied Accounting but I searched for job in and out but I couldn’t secure any until I got OYES form in 2010. I applied and I was short-listed and that gave birth to success story of my life.
In her own words, Oromakinde who was beaming with smiles announced that “Today, I have become an employer of labour because I have two people working for me and my investment as at now worth N1.4million for both Patent Medicine and Computer Centre which I used the OYES stipends to establish. I have also moved further in my education because today I am holding Masters degree in Business Administration (MBA) and Masters of Science (M.Sc) respectively which I didn’t have before.”
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Also in the ancient city of Ile-Ife was Mr. Anthony Dayo Omoniyi of 45 Obalufon Street Ile-Ife, a holder of an OND certificate, who told journalists that “With the training I received in the course of participating in OYES, I went into fishery business which I began with the stipends given to me through OYES when I joined in 2011. I started the aquaculture business with N100,000 which I saved through money I received from OYES, and today, I can boast of investment worth over N500,000. As I am talking to you, I have persons working for me to run the fish ponds. I have maximized the little opportunity given to us through this scheme and I can say it without equivocation that this scheme is truly a life-changing programme.”
Another volunteer, Dele Odewole of 25 Itasin Street,Modakeke, said “the training, experience and stipends I receive from OYES had been translated to accomplish my dreams. Today, I am into engine oil supply business and I am also selling flour in large quantity. I started these businesses with N240,000 which I saved between 2013 and 2015 because I receive N10,000 every month. I didn’t spend this money all through because I had a vision. As at today, my businesses are worth one million naira (N1million) and I have someone working for me as an attendants who I pay eight thousand N8,000.00 each every month.”
Mrs. Rashidat Ifeoluwa Jimoh of Esuyare Area, Modakeke, in her narratives, told journalists that “I was teaching at one private school before I joined OYES in 2013. I did this because I believed so much in our Governor Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola that the scheme would bring out the best in us. Since we received our payment as and when due, thus, I saved the little I received to open a salon, a business that is now worth N500,000.00 because I am also selling food stuff.
Ademakinwa sent this piece from Osogbo.
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