From Tony Icheku in Owerri

Professor of Philosophy and Religion at the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Professor Protus Nathan Uzorma, and former Imo State Deputy Governor, Chief Eze Madumere, yesterday urged the Federal Government on the urgent need to address the growing population of youths unemployment by articulating an agenda for youths development and empowerment.

Also speaking on a similar note, Dr Chima Amadi, the facilitator of Team Mazi Organisation, a political association proffered that there is a correlation between insecurity and large scale youths unemployment in the country.

Madumere, speaking at a seminar in Owerri with the theme: ‘Youths Development and Nation-Building’ lamented that the Nigerian economy suffers immeasurable loss with the ‘japa syndrome’, where highly skilled youths are leaving the country in droves for better socio-economic climes.

“To fail our youths, is to fail the country completely. Our graduates and skilled youths should not be fleeing the country in droves. With the recent merging of the Federal Ministry of Youths and Federal Ministry of Sports Development, the Federal Government must articulate a sustainable framework for youths development and empowerment. We must checkmate the unfortunate situation whereby politicians use our youths as thugs during elections”, he said.

Also speaking on a similar note, Prof. Uzorma noted that his foundation, ‘The Professor Protus Uzorma Foundation for Justice and Equity, PUFJE’ which facilitated the seminar believes in intellectual empowerment of youths.

“We must change the narrative of youth empowerment, our foundation, PUFJE believes in intellectual empowerment of youths, we must emancipate our youths from yahoo-yahoo syndrome which is not our culture. I see the youths as my constituency and towards that end, we are mobilising good spirited individuals to assist the youths in acquiring a skill”

He added that the Foundation founded in 2012 has empowered thousands of youths will use the occasion to empower additional 1000 youths as part of the activities to mark his birthday.

In his remarks, Dr Amadi, a businessman, politician and Chairman , Centre for Transparency Advocacy lamented that owing to large scale unemployment, the political class have reduced Nigerian youths as mere political pawns where they are used and dumped at will during elections

Posing the question, ‘how do we harness potentials of Nigeria’s youthful population?’, Amadi lamented that hundreds of youths are languishing in correctional centres for very minor offences.

The seminar attracted a cross section of the political class including Professor Francis Dike, SAN, former Imo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice; Gen Collins Ihekire, (rtd); Hon Okey Dike, former Deputy Speaker, Imo State House of Assembly; Professor Priye Inokoba, Head of Political Science, Niger-Delta University, Yenagoa; Hon Blyden Amajuruonwu, former House if Assembly member and a host of others

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