Imo State Government says it has made the welfare of youths in the state its topmost priority.
The state governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma stated this on Saturday, February 19 at Hope for Imo Valentine Concert held in Owerri.
Governor Uzodimma therefore called upon the youths to join hands with him to ensure that their immediate and future needs are met.
Governor Uzodimma assured that despite the distractions posed by insecurity, his government will continue to ensure that they are happy, by providing them empowerment and employment opportunities.
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He said: “I have come to give the youths the opportunity to be part of government and governance, to stop unemployment by empowering the youths. My government belongs to you. It is your government.”
“The rejuvenated and rehabilitated Adapalm will provide 35,000 jobs, the recovered Standard Shoe Industry will provide 7,500 jobs, while the Export Processing Zone Project which took me to Cote d’Ivoire alongside other state governors of the country will employ over 50,000 youths when fully activated.”
The governor reminded the youths that the prosperity of Imo State is in their hands and promised to turn around the fortunes of the state in the next 18 months.
Governor Uzodimma appealed to the youths to help the state government to identify the bandits and hoodlums wreaking havoc in the state “so that Imo will freely be developed to the expectations of both the founding fathers and the youths themselves”.
He pledged to replicate the Valentine Concert in the three senatorial zones of the state so that the technical empowerment will get to all the youths of the state.
Earlier, the organiser of the Programme, Paschal Okechukwu (aka Cubana Chief Priest) and Special Adviser to the Governor on Social Media Influence thanked Governor Uzodimma for approving the programme, saying it was “targeted at making Imo youths technologically sound and bringing them up-to-speed with their counterparts all over the world”.
Okechukwu promised that the way Governor Uzodimma has carried Imo youths along “they are ready now, more than ever before, to work with the governor and contribute their quota to the good governance of the State”.
The high point of the programme was the presentation of two brand new Geely cars by the Governor to two Imo youths – Mr Okeke Joshua from Orlu LGA and Miss Emekwe Blessing Ogechi from Ikeduru LGA – who were winners in a lucky deep conducted at the venue of the programme.
Also, the Governor gave out MTN and Infinix brand smart phones to 2700 Imo youths at the venue with a promise to the recipients of free airtime and data by the state government to further encourage them.
The concert featured Musical performances by Mr Flavour, Sister Chinyere Udoma among others.
