By Gbenga Ariyibi

A LEADING monarch and    first class traditional ruler in Ekiti State, Oba Olu Adeyemi, has made case for youth engagement, calling on politicians to provide adequate jobs for them rather than engaging them in criminal acts.
Oba Adeyemi, who is equally the Alara of Aramoko Ekiti, noted that politicians are in the habit of making use of youths as thugs during elections and dumping them shortly after.

The monarch gave the advice in his domain at Aramoko Ekiti yesterday while receiving a member of the House of Representatives representing Ijero/Ekiti West /Efon Federal Constituency, Hon Oyetunde Ojo, who was in the palace to drum support for the re-election of Governor Kayode Fayemi.

Oba Adeyemi noted with concern how some politicians have been distributing what he described as stipends to youths in his domain in the name of politics, adding that this has made them vulnerable to criminal activities “since such money is not enough to give them the needed financial support that could transform their lives.”

The monarch expressed regret at the rising wave of criminality among youths saying: “We want to urge politicians to begin to involve our youths in productive things.

“We want them to be empowered by way of helping them to acquire higher certificates. We want them to be empowered to set up businesses or train them in skill acquisition so that they can be employers of labour.”

Responding, the lawmaker said that he had made youth empowerment the kernel of his policy since he was elected in 2011 through ensuring provision of infrastructural facilities, in his constituency, provision of jobs and skills acquisition trainings for youths.

”No responsible leader would expose the youths, who are the future leaders, to crimes.  The youth unemployment in the country is a time bomb waiting to explode, so all hands must be on the deck to checkmate it,” he said.

Bamidele empowers Ekiti indigenes

MORE than 70 people  went back home with brand new sewing and grinding machines on Tuesday in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital when the Labour Party governorship candidate, Mr. Michael Opeyemi Bamidele gave out income generating equipment to men and women from the 13 wards in Ado-Ekiti.

Bamidele said at the empowerment programme that he believes that setting up small businesses for his people would enable them feed their children and families as well as set them on the path to accessing future opportunities.

The obviously elated recipients were full of encomiums and praises for Bamidele, who they said always keeps his promises.

They enjoined him not to rest on his oars in empowering and caring for his people.

The lawmaker, while charging the recipients to deploy the machines for gainful use, also assured Ekiti people that if elected as governor of the state, his administration would do much more and not betray the confidence reposed in him.