Governor of Imo State, Sen. Hope Uzodimma, has declared that the greatest assets every society can boast of are the youth demography.

The Governor is, therefore, of the view that efforts should made by all to harness the potential of our youth for a better society.

In a statement by Governor Uzodimma’s Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser, Oguwike Nwachuku, to commemorate this year’s International Youth Day (IYD), the Governor joined other good spirited individuals, nationally and globally, to wish our youth a memorable day.

The IYD is an awareness day designated by the United Nations to draw attention to a given set of cultural and legal issues surrounding the youth.

It is a day set aside to honour the positive traits of young people, acknowledge the challenges and limitations they face trying to attain their potentials, with a view to helping them overcome those difficulties.

When the International Youth Day was first organized in 2000, the idea was to recognize the input young people make in education, community development as well as in volunteer work.

Governor Uzodimma said his government will not only support the youth in Imo State and beyond to attain their potentials in life through policies that are youth-centred, but that his government will continue to create an enabling environment that would serve as a catalyst to the youth achieving their God-given dream.

He recalled that love for the youth and recognition of their position in the society were part of the reasons his administration has empowered thousands of youth in Imo State with direct appointments and has continued to empower more through training and retraining on different skill acquisitions and capacity building of their choice.

“As leaders of tomorrow, no investment made in our youth is misplaced. And such investment cannot also be said to be enough. For us, therefore, we will continue to invest in our youth in Imo State believing that we will reap the full benefits one day,” he said.

Uzodimma used the occasion of the IYD to admonish Nigerian youth to be law abiding and to desist from anti-social demeanour like drug abuse and trafficking, armed robbery, kidnapping, banditry, violence, rape, prostitution and other forms of behaviour that pose a challenge to their innate positive talents.

The Governor said for the youth to remain agents of positive development and defend the maxim, “youth are the leaders of tomorrow”, the least they would do is to be associated with criminal activities capable of casting a slur on their potentials as future leaders.

He further advised the youth to shun all entreaties to be drafted into any act that would entail their being used to abridge the peace and unity of Imo State and by extension the country, as experienced currently.

Uzodimma reminded them to also be wary of the activities of desperate politicians who may want to engage them as thugs as political activities will soon get to their peak, noting that most of the desperate politicians in Imo State are determined to do anything to instigate crises and destabilise the government of the day.

“You must resist such persons as both your enemies and as enemies of the society where you are primed to be leaders of tomorrow. Those who love you must not incite you against the government of the day that is working hard to secure your future by ensuring that the State is peaceful and the environment friendly for all,” he said.

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