The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II has called on government at all levels to create employment opportunities to pacify angry and hungry Nigerian youths to curb uprising.
The monarch while speaking at the commencement of his fifth year anniversary, said he has concluded plans to empower 5,000 youths and ensure that they financially independent.
A statement issued yesterday by his spokesperson, Mr. Moses Olafare yesterday, stated that the monarch stressed the need to continuously pacify the teeming youth populace in the country by creating meaningful employment opportunities for them.
The monarch who supervised the certification of the second sets of graduate of the Ojaja II Fashion Training Institute, said his objective was to ensure that the graduates becomes employers of labour rather than searching for unavailable jobs, stressing that every tier of goverment should supports them in form of training, mentorship and other empowerment initiatives.
“The youths are angry because they are hungry and the way to get them out of this anger is to continue to empower them. In line with the celebration of my 5th years on throne, I’ve mapped out plans to empower five thousand youths to be financially independent and to feed others.
“I hereby call on Nigerian leaders either in politics, traditional or religious to know that it is now a necessity to empower the youths. Out of our earnings, let us dedicate part to the empowerment of youths in our areas, we must consider this as a necessity and what should be done on a regular basis.
“We have just have a sample of youth restiveness and it should be a lesson to all of us that nobody can handle their anger, so it is about time we know that it is stupidity to keep monies in the bank while the needy continue to wallow in abject poverty. On the need to assign constitutional roles to traditional rulers, Ooni Ogunwusi explained that such would hasten Nigeria’s journey to prosperity, as traditional rulers remain the closest to the people.
“We were with the president two weeks ago and the issue was discussed and we’re making progress. We have roles to play, we are not competing with them and I believe that we shall get there,” the Ooni added.
At the event, 65 youths who successfully completed their trainings as fashion designers were empowered with instruments and equipment procured by the Ooni, with support from the International Breweries, Ilesa and other partners. Speaking on behalf of other beneficiaries, Adebisi Comfort thanked the Ooni for the gift of new working equipment and the training which she described as the best.
“I am so happy for today and I don’t even know what to say than to keep thanking Kabiyesi, I wish him a long healthy reign on the throne of Oduduwa,” Comfort explained.
Similarly, some victims of human trafficking who were repatriated from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Omar and other parts of the world stormed the palace to thank His Imperial Majesty for giving them a new life.
Speaking on behalf of the 55 ladies, Oluwaseun Omolara explained that the Ooni saved her and her colleagues from the claws of premature deaths as they were living in dehumanising conditions before the monarch’s interventions.
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