From Alfred Babs, Ilorin

Youths in the country have been urged to be initiative and make good use of their brains to engage themselves in things that will sustain them to live a good life.

A cleric of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church, Ilorin, Pastor Ademola Popoola gave the advice on Sunday while speaking at the 7th edition of Oluwole Foundation Empowerment programme held at the Church headquarter in Ilorin.

“Youth cannot over rely on government, there is no white collar job anymore, that is the problem we are having in this nation.

“I’m advising the youths to make sure that they do something with their lives, they should not allow anybody to use them, they should be serious with their lives they should not allow anybody to use them, I’m not asking the youths not to Protest, I’m asking them to protest with peace in their mind, not violence, anytime they want to protest they should make it peaceful,” he said.

He also advised government to always be serious on their promises made to the people adding that they should exhibit personal leadership. If you cannot lead yourself, you cannot lead other people, if you discipline yourself, you will be able to lead other people, they should be committed in taking care of the people, if the leaders want the country to be better they should take care of the people so that the people will take good care of themselves and their won’t be any problem in the nation.

“They should take security serious, our government is just paying lip service to security if there is need to employ more police and soldiers they should continue to employ that is why I was complaining when they cancel Peace Corps instead of cancelling it they should have absorbed them as police or soldiers after they have gotten the training many of them would have end up doing this things we are talking about because they are already trained, they know what it takes.”

Popoola, who is the Chairman of the foundation, said that the 53 people selected for the empowerment were thoroughly screened by a committee

“We are doing the 7th edition of this empowerment, we don’t just give gift to people, we interview them and ask of their needs based on their reply we empower them. We are going to empower people with deep freezer, sewing machines, for those in fashion design, fabricating machine for welder, we are going to empower a farmer  who is into irrigation farming, we are giving KeKenapep that’s tricycle to two people, we have 53 beneficiaries this year with items worth over N20 million,” he said.

Items being distributed as the empowerment tools by the foundation included two tricycles, Motorcycles, Deep Freezers, Fabrication and Welding machines, Irrigation Machines, Sewing machines, Fashion design tools as well as Photocopy and Computer Monitors.