Thebridgenewsonline No 1 News portal
Hon Bob Agbugba Led NOA In Engaging Abia Youths on Attitudinal Reorientation
The National Orientation Agency, NOA Abia State, Thursday organized a one day National Youth Summit on attitudinal reorientation with the theme, “Youth Participation In National Development In The Face Of COVID19”.
Addressing over 100 participants during the event which took place at the council hall, Umuahia North L.G.A, the NOA Director General, Dr. Garba Abari represented by the Abia State Director, Dr. Mrs Ngozi Okechukwu explained that the event was part of NOA’s community engagement, to identify challenges affecting the youths and expose them to opportunities provided by government to enhance their status.
He said that the NOA national youth summit is intended to provide a veritable platform of engagement with the youth on key national issues that are of utmost concern to them and come up with recommendations on ways to effectively and efficiently address them.
Dr Abari further added that the theme of the summit, which is ‘youth participation in national development’ is very apt and imperative as it underscores the clear fact that the youth are an indispensable critical mass for meaningful national development
The director-general urged the youth to be at the vanguard of democracy and work together to preserve the nation’s common heritage, for posterity.
He said the agency’s messaging at youth engagements will emphasize on, consistent engagement with the youth on government policies, programmes, and activities and enlightenment on various social investment programmes designed for their empowerment; sensitization of the youth on the need to eschew social vices such as thuggery, cybercrime, cultism, drug abuse, armed robbery, sexual and gender-based violence and other criminalities; The need to embrace dialogue and peace and the obligation to imbibe the national core values and others; and to build the confidence of the Nigerian Youth in the ability and commitment of the government to address their challenges.
In his remarks, the chairman of the occasion and Chairman Umuahia North Local Government Area, Chief Ugochukwu Njinkeonye represented by his deputy, Hon. Bob Ogechi Agbugba called on the youths to be disciplined, patriotic and be good ambassadors of themselves and the nation.
He also encouraged the youths to embrace entrepreneurial skills in order to beat the scourge of unemployment and be self-sufficient.
Pastor Prof. Mrs Ngozi Akanwa, Dean College of Education, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike presented a paper tagged “Reawaken the consciousness of the youth on the need to embrace the National core values and ethics.
Other papers presented during the event include, The impact of youth participation and involvement in policy making and governance; Insecurity and Nigerian Youth: The way forward; and strategies for engaging Nigerian Youth for Economic Growth by the Abia State coordinator National Directorate of Employment, NDE Lady Dr. Chijioke Uzoatuegwu.
