Gov Otti says govt partnering reputable organisations to secure future of Abia youths

Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti OFR, says his government is partnering reputable organisations to secure the future of Abia youths through meaningful engagement.

While noting that the youths need a platform to be useful to themselves and the society at large, Governor Otti said that they also need access to finance, training, retraining and mentorship, adding that his administration is open to support from interested and reputable organisations in that regard.

The Governor stated this on Thursday when he received a delegation of the Dominion City Church, worldwide, led by the General Overseer and founder Goldenheart Foundation, Bishop David Ogbueli, who came to brief him about their oncoming programme in Abia.

“It is important we get our youths to do something. We want to thank you for the initiative and they’re initiatives we have already keyed into. We believe that a lot of our people just need access to finance, access to training and retraining and mentoring; just support from government will keep them off the streets.

“Even here, because we understand how the economy works, immediately we came on board we started clearing salary arrears. When people work and you don’t pay them, you stifle the economy. It’s only when they have money in their pockets that they can be able to buy, and that buying decision supported by the money in their pockets will bring chains of other decisions.

“As somebody is buying, somebody is selling. As somebody is selling, somebody is producing. As somebody is producing, hiring people, the economy is growing. It keeps on going in circle like that,” the Governor explained.

He said that the level of infrastructural decay he met on assumption of office in the state, particularly in Aba, informed his decision to immediately commence the rehabilitation of roads across the state. According to him, that singular action has begun to pay off as some businesses that had hitherto left Aba, the commercial hub of the state, have started coming back.

Governor Otti while recalling the roles played by different churches, including Dominion City, in ensuring his victory in the 2023 governorship election, thanked Bishop Ogbueli for his services to God, mankind and Nigeria.

“We thank you for all the work you’re doing for mankind and for God, during the campaigns we visited your Church in Umuahia, and we were well received. We thank you for allowing us use the platform which you set up.

“A great majority of the Body of Christ supported us, some of them went out of their way campaigning for us, talking to people, came out on the election day, protecting their votes and ensuring that the right thing was done,” the Governor recalled.

Speaking earlier, the leader of the delegation and General Overseer, Dominion City Church, Bishop David Ogbueli, said they were in the state for a programme titled, “Southeast Redemption and Development Summitt”, where they would speak to church and religious leaders on the need to be part of the moral reformation of youths in the South East.

Bishop Ogbueli, who stated that he was more concerned about the collapse of moral values among youths in the South East, said the summit would equip the church and religious leaders with the right approach to champion the campaign right from their immediate environments.

While applauding the numerous achievements of Governor Otti within a short time in office, Bishop Ogbueli said he would be fulfilled to see Abia State champion the all round development of the South East region.