The Benue state Governor Samuel Ortom, Thursday, said his administration will continue to place priority on programmes that seek to empower the youth and give them a sense of belonging.
He also restated his commitment to encouraging youth to take advantage of the numerous initiatives of the present administration in agriculture and entrepreneurship to become self employed and offer opportunities for others.
The governor in a message on the 2021 International Youth Day signed by his chief press secretary, Terver Akase, reaffirmed the willingness of his administration to sustain the collaboration with the private sector to create jobs for youth of the state.
He urged young people to avoid cultism, criminal activities, truancy, excessive intake of alcohol, smoking and other acts capable of destroying their future.
Ortom stated that last year’s #EndSARS protests brought to the fore, the urgency for greater efforts by government at all levels to address the yearnings of young people.
He said it was in the bid to find viable solutions to the needs and aspirations of young people in the state that his administration organised the 2020 Benue Youth Summit which came up with plausible recommendations.
He assured that recommendations of the summit will be implemented while more action plans are being evolved to positively engage youth of the state.
