By Martin Opara
The Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth Affairs Hon. Eric Uwakwe has thrown more light on the federal government empowerment of 250 Imo youths in the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) programme aimed at empowering 774,000 youths across the country, with Imo as the pilot state and South East zonal headquarters.
The Special Assistant, in a release signed by his Executive Assistant, Unegbu Victor-Wallace said, “yesterday was the official handover of the Imo State office of NALDA at Okigwe road, Owerri. The agency is saddled with the responsibility of harnessing the potentials of vast arable lands in the country for the purpose of empowering and supporting small scale farmers on large and mechanized levels”.
He further stated that out of the 774,000 youths that will be empowered nationwide, 250 Imo youths benefitted in the area of rabbit farming while about 1,500 Imo youths are expected to benefit from other porgrams of NALDA in the long run.
He also noted that the federal government as their primary off takers, has assured that it will purchase whatever they produce, hence there is a viable market.
“This programme has nothing to do with the state government’s N6billion youth empowerment programme for which His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodinma has already approved the release of N2b for the first batch of 5,000 Imo youths, already trained by the Office of the Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth Affairs and the Skill Acquisition Ministry. The governor has assured that disbursement of the start off capital and equipments will commence in the next 10 days”.
He advised Imo people to ignore the distractive antics of pathological pessimists, fifth columnists and fault finders who do not see anything good in the programs and policies of government, no matter how noble and people-oriented they are.
