Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma, on Saturday reassured youths in Imo State that their wellbeing will always be uppermost in his government policies and therefore called upon them to join hands with him to ensure that their immediate and future needs are met.

He gave the reassurance while presenting two brand new Geely cars to two Imo youths – Mr Okeke Joshua from Orlu LGA and Miss Emekwe Blessing Ogechi from Ikeduru LGA – who were winners in a lucky dip conducted at the venue of the Hope for Imo Valentine Concert.

Also, the Governor gave out MTN and Infinix brand smart phones to 2,700 Imo youths at the venue with a promise to the recipients of free airtime and data by the State Government to further encourage them.

Speaking at the event held at Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu Square Owerri organised for Imo youths in the state, particularly for students, Governor Uzodimma assured them that despite the distractions posed by the initial challenges of insecurity, his government will continue to ensure that they are happy, by providing them empowerment and employment opportunities.

The event attracted more than 2,700 youths drawn from the 27 local government areas of Imo State who took part in the Valentine Concert and spiced with technical empowerment, entertainment, talent hunt, and other social activities.

Uzodimma said: “I have come to give the youths the opportunity to be part of government and governance, to stop unemployment by empowering the youths. My government belongs to you. It is your government.”

He reminded them that “the rejuvenated and rehabilitated Adapalm will provide 35,000 jobs, the recovered Standard Shoe Industry will provide 7,500 jobs, while the Export Processing Zone Project which took me to Cote d’Ivoire alongside other state governors of the country will employ over 50,000 youths when fully activated.”

The Governor reminded them that the prosperity of Imo State is in the hands of the youths and that for “Imo to be reconstructed, rehabilitated and recovered the youths must be recovered and that is through youth empowerment and employment.”

Uzodimma then promised that “Imo youths and Imo people in general will, in 18 more months, see the magic on development.”

However, Senator Uzodimma appealed to the youths to help the State Government to identify the bandits and hoodlums wreaking havoc in the state “so that Imo will freely be developed to the expectations of both the founding fathers and the youths themselves.”

On the Valentine Concert that took place in Owerri, the Governor promised to replicate it in the three senatorial zones of the state so that the technical empowerment will get to all the youths of the State.

“God willing, every setback experienced in the past will be eliminated and all promises of this administration to the youths will be implemented,” he noted adding that, “for Imo to move forward, our youths must move forward.”

Welcoming the Governor earlier, the organiser of the Programme, Hon. Paschal Okechukwu (aka Cubana Chief Priest), the Special Adviser to the Governor on Social Media Influence, thanked him for the express approval given to the programme, saying that it was “targeted at making Imo youths technologically sound and bringing them up-to-speed with their counterparts all over the world.”

Okechukwu promised that the way Governor Uzodimma has carried Imo youths along “they are ready now, more than ever before, to work with the Governor and contribute their quota to the good governance of the state.”

The Concert featured Musical performances by Mr Flavour, Sister Chinyere Udoma among others while prominent Imo citizens such as former Governor Ikedi Ohakim, members of the Federal and State legislature, top government officials and business moguls attended the event.

•PHOTO: Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State flanked on the left by the Deputy Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly, Amarachi Iwuanyanwu and on the right by his Special Adviser on Social Media Influence, Paschal Okechukwu at the Imo Hope for Valentine Concert where 2,700 students received Smart phones at the Admiral Ndubuisi Square Owerri . . . Saturday

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