As part of his development agenda and to fulfill his campaign promises, His Execllency Governor Hyacinth Alia bring together some expert who produced a document known as ” Strategic Development Plan for a Greater Benue.
This document is structured around seven priority pillars, with acronym SACHIIP .
On Page 38 of the this document ,the Governor outline 8 programs for Benue youths , to make them more self reliance and responsible to the society .
Unlike when they were used and dumped after elections,Governor Alia accomadate Benue youths into well into his development plan ,build on trust and confidence .
Among the programs are : 1, Promote youth participation in Governance, both at state and Local Government levels .
2, Promote the establishment of youths recreational centers in the three Senatorial districts in the state.
3, Establish the Benue Youths Volunteer Corps ( BYVC) to provide service , skill development, and leadership development to our teaming , youthfully population.
4,Promote Youth participation and employment in Agro,- procession industries strategically located across the three senatorial districts in the state.
5, Facilate employment, training , scholarship awards and entrepreneurship programmes for militia converts in the state.
6, Train young doctors , engineers ,ICT , Lawyers and other needed professionals to enhance the human capacity of Benue state.
7,Re- orientation of the youths for effective patriotism, discipline, honestly,integrity ,and selfless in youthful society.
8, Generally ,improve youth employment through efficient commerce,industries and agriculture.
Armed with this ducument ,and within two years of his administration,Governor Alia has given the youths of Benue a pride of place in his entire administration.
Barrister Seember Wayo, Principal Special Assistant to the Governor on Legal Matters , Dr. Terna Francis Director- General Benue State Bureau for Education Quality Assurance , Hon. Tiza Isaac Imojime Orya, Commissioner for Youths and Creativity , before now he was in charge of ministry of work and Housing are all youths .
Other Youthful appointees holding position of responsibility and discharging their mandate isare Sir Kulas Tersoo Chief Press Secretary to the Governor , Hon Solomon Iorpev Technical Adviser to the Governor on Media, Publicity and Strategy communication as well as Director General ,Benue signage and Advertising Agency .
From these appointments Governor Hyacinth Alia has has demonstrated capacity to empower Benue youths who are the leaders of tomorrow in fulfilment of his campaign promises as capsulated in the Strategic Development plan for a Greater Benue.
It is heart warming and a thing of joy to note that this is the first time a Governor has given opportunities to Youths in his both cabinet and head of critical agencies of Government.
But there is icening on the cake as the Benue Youths Policy gets under soon.
Governor Hyacinth Alia has involved services of expert ,international developers and international organisation who are fine tunning the youth policy which will soon be unveil to Benue people . This is first of it’s kind in Benue too.
Then ,the Big one ” a peep into the Benue Youths Policy revealed that they are more 40 sports items for the youths only .
These included: Establishment of sports acedamies in the state , Develop modalities for full comercialisation of sports for revenue generation in the state, sponsoring of an Executive Bill to legalized and encourage sponsorship of sporting activities by private and public individuals .
Others are: Support the development of mini- stadiums in all the Local Government headquarters ,for example the Vanideikya, Katsina Ala,Aliade, Otukpo stadiums builds years again will be upgraded for the benefits of the youths in Benue so that sports talents would be discovered and nature into international stars.
Increase funding and provide more funding facilities for sports development.
Re-introduce the all – primary and Secondary school games to harness local talents
And lastly Complete all outstanding revocation work and further expand the capacity of the Aper Aku Stadium, Makurdi to International standard , including Macarthy Stadium.
Already, with the quality execution of infrastructure projects like roads,( both urban and rural) health , education, massive upgrading of Government offices , especially State Secretariat ,shows that the implementation of the Strategy Development Plan For a greater Benue of His Excellency, Governor Hyacinth Alia is on course and now a working ducument which has enderaed him ( Governor) to the people of Benue state who have increased the volume of Yes father chants.
In the essence,the youths ,who constitute 30 percent of Benue population must position themselves to take up leadership position of not just Governor Hyacinth Alia administration but of the state in future.
Luckily the” Not too Young Bill ” has given them the Constitutional power .
Hon .Gbenda Terver, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth Mobilization and Illegal Levies ,told The Nation that ” Governor Alia has given Benue youths a better life to live, and they have key into the his policy to make their lives better .
For Governor Hyacinth Alia , the youths remain ” Leaders of Tomorrow” and we must work toward giving them a better life
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This the Governnor said” I’m running for governor to effect a significant transformation in the social , economic,and political landscape of our dear state .I’m committed to ensuring that a better and greater Benue emerges in my dispensation as governor .I need your collective Support to make this dream a reality.
That better tomorrow is now and it’s has started manifesting .
From Uja Emmanuel
Is the Benue State correspondent of The Nation ,covering Benue state
