N-DELTA : OVER 500 YOUTHS TO BENEFIT FROM TOMONE’S NGO

•As he calls on the Federal Government to prioritize the development of Niger Delta.

•Canvasses for partnership

OGULAGHA—In pursuance of a hitch free Niger Delta imbued with uninterrupted peace, the founder of One Love Community Development and Promotion of Peace Initiative, OLCDPPI, a Non Governmental Organization in Delta State, Apostle (Dr.) Godspower Tomone have continued to reach out to more youths in the region as it now has over 500 youths to be trained in different vocational skills.

Apostle Tomone made the disclosure while addressing participants on Friday penultimate week at the Youbebe community town hall in Ogulagha kingdom, Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State stressed that with the 270 new intake drawn across communities in the kingdom, coupled with the previously registered youths, he alleged that the NGO is now looking at empowering no fewer than 570 youths in the Niger Delta.

In his words “Our mission is to reach out to more youths in the region, we don’t just enroll them and send them to acquire different vocational skills, we firstly orient them on the need to see peace as a panacea for the development we grave for, we have to be peaceful so that the government will no longer have excuse not to develop us.

“We want to see how One Love Community Development and Promotion of Peace Initiative can also contribute meaningfully to our region and the country in general, haven’t identified that an idle mind is the devil’s workshop, we have to do what we are doing now even if its not easy, considering the resources put in place to engage the youths to be ambassadors of peace”

Giving a breakdown of the youth empowerment campaign, Dr. Godspower asserted that the training of the youths where in phases, stressing that his NGO with the successful orientation of over 500 youths last week, it would now focused on engaging them in different vocational skills and possibly to acquire formal education.

“This we will do according to what the participants wishes to acquire, we have actually earmarked about 570 youths to be sent to acquire different vocational skills, a point must be made known that their training will begin 2017” Tomone said.

According to him, the various areas participants are expected to be trained in 2017 includes welding, scaffolding, diving, driving, fashion design, Aluminium production and fitting, Hairdressing, Fabric making, Machine operators such as Excavator, crane, pay loader, Backhoe Loaders, Bulldozers, Skid Steer Loaders, Motor Graders, Trenchers, etc.

Speaking further in an interview with Gbaramatu Voice Newspaper, Dr. Godspower blamed the Federal Government and other related agencies for the renewed militancy in the region, according to him, the continued politicization of the Niger Delta question and the brazen neglect of the region was the architect of the renewed onslaught against critical national assets.

He called on the attention of the Federal Government to sincerely prioritize the development of the Niger Delta with the engagement of more youths outside the amnesty program to allegedly prevent further occurrence of militancy in the region.

Tomone explained that while few Niger Delta youths are beneficiaries to the amnesty programme, a larger chunk of the youths in the region where not included in the programme, adding that these sets of youths have been left unattended with no plans on the part of government to engage them with a view of giving them a sense of belonging.

He particularly appeals to the Federal government and its institutions to look into the plight of other youths of the region to begin to have a blue print in engaging them.

Meanwhile Tomone has called on the Federal Government, state, Local, NDDC, The presidential amnesty programme and the multinational oil companies operating in the region to partner with his NGO to reach out to more youths in the Niger Delta.

However, community leaders in Ogulagha kingdom that where present during the orientation programme have commended Apostle Godspower, the founder of the NGO in his drive for a better Niger Delta, noting that if those in authorities could key into this initiative as well, it will no doubt move the region forward, emphasising that he has proven and distinguished himself as an exemplary leader in the Niger Delta.

Gbaramatu Voice newspaper learnt that the programme is organised by the One Love Community Development and Promotion of Peace Initiative, OLCDPPI on a monthly basis in Ogulagha kingdom, Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State to enroll youths into the programme.