The Gov. Diri Led Prosperity Administration Drive in Youth Development and Empowerment Vis-A-Vis The Theme of The 2024 International Youth Day

***”From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development

***Again Bayelsa State Youths Pass a Vote of Confidence on Diri/Law

The 12th of August every year is celebrated worldwide as the International Youth Day, the aim primarily is to appreciate with a view to harnessing the youthful energy for society building, recognize the tireless contributions of youths to society, celebrate the countless achievements of youths in community development, and spur initiatives that galvanizes youths to channel all that energy to positive thinking with the aim of engerdering societal growth.

The theme of this year’s Youth Day Celebration “From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development” is conceived to tell the international direction and vision for youths engagement in the coming years, which is to stimulate youths to take advantage of the digital opportunities available at our individual finger tips to make progress and bring about meaningful sustainable development. The theme no doubt takes cognisance of the endless possibilities created by the internet digital age, therefore urge us the youths to redirect our mindsets to not only click on and assimilate contents provided by the digital world, but to also make our time count by utilising these boundless opportunities to create not only content, but also revolutionize society by way of tapping into various innovative concepts like eco-friendly agricultural practices, safer efficient engineering, technology driven healthcare delivery system, more conducive and convenient education system, and an overall morally safe socio-cultural environment that better ensures the healthy continuity of the human race.

It is therefore through this mirror of innovations driven sustainable development that we at the PYC ably led by our Director-General Snr.Comr Doubara Kumokou urge every Bayelsan (especially the youths) to view administrations and governance at all levels. We must always remind ourselves that Democratic Governments as we claim to practice is designed to ensure the greatest happiness of the greater number, and since the dawn of the 21st Century the concept of “Sustainable Development” has been the driving principle behind every government’s programme even at trivial tinkering. Mind you Nigeria has been confirmed to have a predominantly youthful population, with over 60% percent of the population less than 40years of age, thus the youths in this case constitutes the greater number to which greater government attention must be given, if we are to make progress as a country.

As a predominantly youth based society, Bayelsa must be seen to advance the course of the youths, through innovation and conscious public expenditure that allows the youths to feel free and safe to own the future of the state and bring positive imagations to live.
It is theefore not surprising the wide acceptance and popular support the present government enjoys especially from the youths who have after thorough and unbiased analysis of the Prosperity Administration as run by the duo of the Miracle Governor His Excellency Sen. Douye Diri, and his workaholic and dependable Deputy Sen. Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, have remain resolutely firm with the Prosperity administration. As this government had clearly upend the ante where the state was run without vision and no clear pathway for us the youths.

The Bayelsa youth has opted to remain in partnership with Gov. Diri on the understanding that a lot of tidious ground breaking work is required to position the state strategically on the path to sustainable development. The Diri/Lawrence module of development has shown a clear pathway for youths in keeping with the international agenda for youths development and empowerment in contemporary times.

The administration has been on top gears from inception on the 14th of February, 2020 to turn around the infrastructure of the state to make it a player in all facets of the national economy. Apart from embarking on gigantic capital intensive projects like the completion of (then) ongoing sections of the three senatorial roads like Alaebiri/Ekeremor section of the Sagbama Ekeremor road, Igebiri/Angiama section of the Oporoma road, the new Igbedi road and initiating new sections like the mind boggling Nembe/Brass road. Bayelsa youths appreciate that these and countless other road projects like the Glory drive Phase 2, the Igbogene/AIT roads, the numerous inter and intra-Communal roads across the state, the several internal roads amongst others are rigorously pursued to open up the state and encourage inter-communal connectivity and cross pollination of ideas amongst segments of the state.

We have also observed with sincere appreciation innovative programs like the Zipline drone technology for supply of essential medical facilities and amenities to the far interlands (which indeed is a novelty in the entire sub-region), the ultra modern Technical Colleges in the various LGAs and the expansion of the Bayelsa Health Insurance scheme to accommodate greater percentage of Bayelsa and residents alike, are all conceived by the government to ensure all inclusive people oriented development.

By no small measure kudos must be given to the government for the various human capital development via employment generation. We must acknowledge the Governor for the employment of 250 teachers to staff the Primary Schools across the state, we are also aware that the processes are at an advanced staged for the recruitment of about 950 Teachers for the Secondary Schools, and another 1000 health personnel for the various health care facilities in the state, this apart from the intended purpose of providing essential services to the different sectors, also aims to employ and empower teeming Bayelsa youths. Mention must be made of the magnificent edifices built by the government to decongest the State Secretariat complex and make access to public service delivery in key government parastatals, agencies and institutions less cumbersome, the newly built Finance House readily comes to mind and Ernest Ikoli Media Complex built by the government to integrate broadband and digital broadcast keeping news production and information dissemination topnutch and beyond bounds.

Bayelsa youths have taking special recognition of Gov. Diri’s zeal at youths empowerment. The Prosperity administration has vehemently refused to pay lip service to youth development and empowerment, but has taken a bold leap in the repositioning and positioning of women and youths for sustainable development. By way of affirmative action, the government has been keeping to its electioneering promises of proper integration of youths into the core administration of state, for instance we have just witnessed the appointment of over 16 youths as Commissioners by His Excellency the Governor into his cabinet of 29 Commissioners, youths now man various strategic offices in the State Executive Council. This gesture in addition to the numerous youths appointed as SAs, SSA’s, TAs, EAs, SAs and into the various Boards, Parastatals and Agencies of the government proves beyond doubt the governor’s zeal to position Bayelsa youths for progress and self reliance. Today, Bayelsa State is known to be the only state with a Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, this indeed shows the government’s recognition of the role of technology and Artificial intelligence as the pathway for the future. The Prosperity Youths Coalition has already in seperate other publications appreciated the governor for yielding to our call for the creation of a seperate Ministry of Youths and subsequent appointment of a very vibrant youth leader who is now in charge of that critical office, we can not withhold our sincere gratitude to a man who bears us at heart.

We have all also seen how Gov. Diri has been committing resources in the training, retraining and skills acquisition of women and youths, these programs have been complemented with certificates and open promise by the Governor to provide starter-packs to inspire self reliance, drive businesses and innovation. Early this year, the erudite Dr. Linus Okorie and his team were brought to the state for a 5day indepth capacity building summit were over 400 Bayelsa youths and residents acquired skills on leadership, management and enterpreniership; plans are underway as we speak for another round of intensive training of Bayelsans drawn from across the state under the Governor’s personal directive for a Train-the-Trainer course, meanwhile, starter-packs for the February batch are been prepared for participants.

No Xray of the Diri administration would be complete without a mention of the massive successes and gains made in sports development. In his term as governor and games master general of the state, Bayelsa State has received countless laurels in sports both nationally and internationally, exporting fine athletes and providing competing athletes to represent the nation who again and again have made us all proud.

The list goes on and on if we wished to list and articulate each one of the Governor’s achievements in relation to youths engagement and sustainable development, but the intention of this piece has merely been to enable Bayelsans view this one time the performance of our government through the mirror of the theme of the 2024 International Youth Day Celebration, but we may have just succeeded to pinpoint that Diri mean well for our youths, and has indeed done well. He has unlike other administrations, taught us and prepared us for the emerging digital age, so that we partake in the vast opportunities of the new dawn, he has refused to make thugs out of our youthful energies, but has instead opted to give us a direction and a future to dream of; detesting bloodletting, violence and criminality, he has been able to reposition Bayelsa youths and re-engineer our minds for purpose driven fulfilment all in an environment devoid of ranchore and hostility.

As a Man of Peace(MOP), Gov. Diri has led his team to ensure maximum safety of lives and properties not only within the Yenagoa metropolis but even to the farthest interland and along our infinite maze of rivers, creeks and estuaries.

In appreciation of these achievements of the Prosperity administration, the Prosperity Youths Coalition has on behalf of Bayelsa youths once against passed a Vote of Confidence on our dear loving & humble Governor.

Sign:
Ayebakuro Igbeta Esq.
Secretary-General, PYC