2021 Int’l Youth Day: Oyetola Reaffirms well-being of Osun Youth In His Administration

By, Oluwabunmi Akindele

Governor of the State of Osun, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola has reaffirmed that the well-being of Youths,at all levels,in the State is paramount to his administration.

……Governor Oyetola gave the affirmation at the year 2021edition of International Youth Day Celebration held at the Staff Development Centre, Osogbo, the State Capital, maintaining that Government knows the importance of youth in the State, trumpeting that this is why he is doing everything possible to engage and develop them positively.

The State helmsman use the occasion to isolate some of his achievements for youth which includes: employment of about 18,000 youths, engagement of youths in Agriculture, including clearing and allocation of 100 hecters of land to the youth for farming, revealing that he has discovered that a lot of youth do not know about mining, hence he has resolved to convert the Technical College,Osu to a Minning Institution.He also stated that he has provided free education to children at the basic levels so that no child is deprived the benefit of solid education due to parental poverty.

Governor Oyetola also explained that his government has fixed four out of the nine Technical Colleges in the State,explaining that the only way to go now is through technical education which will safe the Youth from looking for white collar jobs that are no more available.He however promised to upgrade the remaining five as soon as the financial situation of the State improves.

…..In their sundry goodwill messages, the Speaker, Osun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Timothy Owoeye, Commissioner for Agriculture and food Security, Mr. Adedayo Adewole, Owaloko of Iloko Ijesa, Oba Akeem Ogungbangbe, and Comrade Abdul-Azeez Abiodun congratulated youths on the occasion,acknowledging that Youths are facing a lot of challenges which Government needs to expedite action on.

…..While charging the youth to be adequately prepared for future leadership,they commended the State Governor for his pragmatic efforts in transforming youth in the State through the approval of Osun Youth Policy document as well as his lavish appointment of youths in his cabinet.

….In his lecture on the theme for the year, ” Transforming Food System: Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health”. Dr. Ademola Oyinlola noted that transforming food system involves the process of converting food from one form to another. He maintained that Nigeria is blessed with good climate and favourable weather conditions for agriculture, emphasizing that to make use of it judiciously is the main challenge.

The resource man urged policy makers to make policies that will be of benefits to youths in the area of agriculture, adding that Government should provide cold storage and solar energy to preserve perishable goods.

Earlier in his address of welcome, Commissioner for Youth and Sports in the State, Mr Yemi Lawal appreciated the State Governor, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola for placing premium on developing youths in Osun, stressing that the present administration is a youth oriented and friendly one, assuring the young ones of the commitment of Governor Oyetola to improve the quality of their lives through creation of opportunities for them to achieve their dreams. He further disclosed that the youths in the State have contributed immensely in nation building,while promising that the Government will continue to sustain youth oriented programmes targeted at creating job opportunities for the unemployed ones in the State.

Mr Lawal also opined that he considered this year’s event as another landmark in celebrating the youth in Osun, adding that it affords governments,at all levels, the opportunity to celebrate the contributions of the young people to the development of their society and also interact with them on how best to address their needs as well as sensitize them on their rights and obligations. He however commended them for their tenacity and hard work at all times despite the challenging time that is confronting them.

The event featured an interactive session of the youths with Mr Governor where they asked questions about his further programmes and aspirations for them, cutting of cake as well as entertainment by various dancers and witnessed by many notable dignitaries which include: Wife of the Governor, Mrs Kafayat Oyetola, the State Deputy Governor, Mr Benedict Alabi, Traditional Rulers including top government functionaries.