A CLARION CALL FOR IGEDE YOUTHS EMPOWERMENT

By Ogor Mathias Ogor

Youth empowerment is a global concern at latest century, because the youths are the driving force for high development and rapid economic growth in every country. The youths in igede land are known for auspicious talents and potentials but, they lack help from the selfish leaders to exhibit & showcase their wealth and bulky knowledge that can transform their lives for good and Igede nation at large. One thing that distinguishes Igede youths from their counterparts is their hardworking, zealousness and struggling for self dependent, life void of crime and stealing and depth knowledge about how the future will look like.

Despite the misfortunes and underdevelopment in the land, the youths never relent in working for the future as they are globally known for academic Excellency and otherwise.
In igede land, many potential youths who have ambitions due to bad leadership structure are ending up doing menial jobs for the westerners in exchange for token to earn a living. How long will this phenomenon going to last? Our selfish leaders who have no economic policies and strategies for development make used of our joblessness as they gave the youths gun to kill themselves during election for their selfish interest. Can we have a rethink at this juncture? The politicians who we are killing ourselves, stealing ballot box, fighting and injuring ourselves for, after election do we see them again? NO, we are only good to be used as cowards during election with deceiving penny at detriment of our own future. They own houses in Abuja, Lagos, and other booming and flourishing Cities living large, receiving medical checkup in abroad, sending their children to abroad to study and at end they grow up to take over power from their parents making politics look like family circulation or birth right at expense of common man interest. How long will this endemic sagacity continue to cloud our bright future?

In what ways can our leaders help the youths in igede land? Many societies of the world developed through athletes, music and film industry, scholarship for students, block grants for small scale business establishment, building of baby industries for agricultural products processing, sponsoring the youths for skills acquisition just but to mentioned few in this article. It’s very painful that our leaders doesn’t value music and show no concern in raising the upcoming artists. They never realized that music can bring about development or a key factor for youths empowerment. Lagos has lots of artists who have in place investments that produced several jobs for the youths making it the second high revenue generating state in Nigeria after acient city of Kano. Our leaders can promote the talented artists to height of been known globally as other states are doing today. Football is another area our leaders failed to see as a means of development in igede land despite seeing how England is developed due to sport activities. We have many igede youths who can play like or better than Jay Jay okocha, kanu Nwakwo, Mikel obi, Jude Ighalo, victor Moses, Ahmed Musa and Chwkuweze but where are they? No single igede youth is playing football in the flying eagle moreless of playing for senior National team, super eagle.

Great Igede youths, I urge you to rise on your feet, because we are the future leaders and the future begins today. We must say no to age long verbal deceiving words that, “we are the leaders of tommorow” we can’t continue to be silent over this syndrome and unprofitable crop of leaders who have only themselves or family in mind. We can be better than where we are today by soliciting from our well to do friends not necessary politicians to make investment in igede land which will provide job for our youths. Having gari processing company, Rice Mill, wood Depot, opening high standard schools, building big poultries, and baking company are all platforms for youth empowerment which will also lead to economic growth and development of the large society..
Igede youths can rise above this perennial suffering & poverty to enviable height if our leaders can help and assist them. It is never a crime to recruit our youths into military or paramilitary in Nigeria when we have the opportunity. It is never a crime for the Igede youths to be employed as state or federal government workers. It won’t kill them if they receive government money as salary like youths from other states. The worse of all is that, our empty leaders are good in selling our slots for job opportunity as if we don’t have qualified youths who are fit for the jobs. Imagine, an igede man served as permanent secretary to federal government of Nigeria without employing single youth from igede land expect his immediate family until he was dropped. Politicians, this Clarion call is a wake up campaign to see the need for development in igede land. No achievement is laudable than human resources and capital development at 21st century.
I strongly believe that igede will soon be transformed. this Nemesis and pitiful situation will sooon be a thing of the past in the nearest future. My Youth let us rise up with mentality of helping ourselves in wherever we find ourselves in order to develop our ancestral home. Never allow this evil act of not helping others by the clueless politicians to ruin and extend to our new generation. Igede forever remain one ethnic group in Nigeria and in no distance time we shall raise governor, senator, ministers and Ambassadors that will develop our father’s land. Avoid selfish interest at expense of public health, wellbeing and development. We must avoid hatred, love ourselves, see ourselves as one regardless of our political differences. helping others within our reach is a hidden secret to rebuild, fast-track and build new igede of our dream. Development is a collective efforts as i humbly asserted in my first article.

#Igede kakilahi, my father’s land, my cherished home of peace with great men and women, long live.