Well-to-do Nigerians, particularly religious leaders have been urged to join hands with the federal government in its poverty alleviation drive and employment creation for the teeming youths of the country.
The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Bar Nkeiruka Onyejeocha who gave the advice stressed the need for informal sector operators to get involved in job creation saying the government alone cannot do it.
Onyejeocha stated this in Ibadan, Oyo state capital at the weekend, during the inauguration and dedication of the Adamimogo House, which housed the Adamimogo 105.1 FM, The Light Hotel and Event Centre established by the renowned man of God Prophet Sam Olu Alo.
The minister noted that Olu-Alo who is the Planter of Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) Adamimogo Grace of Mercy Prayer Mountain Worldwide has demonstrated that spiritual matters are very important but the physical matter must be added to it for the good of all.
This came as Prophet Olu Alo counselled the federal government to always encourage young people who are into entrepreneurship, trade vocations and various skills acquired with incentives that will make such attractive to them and remain on the job.
Emphasising the importance of the private sector in job creation, the minister said, “We have seen one of, someone who is into private practice and doing this, and that is why I have come to throw my weight and support to him to encourage people. The government cannot do it alone, we are calling on the private sector to embark on this kind of thing. The truth of the matter is that, even when talking about salary and paid jobs, people need to work, they have to be skilled.
“It is a welcome development, this is adding to removing youths from the street, reducing poverty and creating employment. With the event centre, the guest house and the Radio station, a lot of people would be employed. So, as a person sitting in the office of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, I am involved and excited that he is adding to my mandate of ensuring that we create employment for our people and reduce poverty.
“Under the Ministry of labour and employment, skills and we have offices in 36 states including FCT where the people are going to be trained and empowered and not just for training sake, we look at what is viable so that, people trained will not go back to poverty, they will be really employed and empowered.”
On what prophet Olu Alo has done, she added, “Remember Apostle Paul in the Bible time was a tent maker and a lawyer, so spirituality does not make somebody idle. He has contributed a lot to the development of our communities. Testimonies abound about people he has empowered not just in Ibadan but also in Ekiti, Akure, Abeokuta Lagos and other parts of Nigeria as well as outside the country. What again can I say than to say kudos and he should keep doing what he has been doing and it is worthy of emulation by his colleagues.”
On the one million naira new minimum wage being proposed by the organized labour, the minister said, “That is why we have the tripartite committee which means that, three people or segments will sit and decide on what will be the new minimum wage no one arm or a particular person can decide on it all alone. It will be a collective decision which is for the good of all Nigerians. The Tripartite committee set up by the federal government has scheduled meetings which will start this week. So we are sitting.”
Speaking further, the cleric who said he was happy because God is using his life to lift some other people’s lives, especially at this time when our country is sick economically urged Nigerians to lift up others with that thing God has blessed them with.
“I want to our government to always try to learn from other countries. Like in Turkey, I was there recently. It was gathered that, their youths also are not ready to learn trades and vocations but the government there did some things which I witnessed to encourage the youths of the country.
“They will gather them and train them on different trades, skills and vocations and buy the products back from them with huge money and resell to the general public. They call programme related to that ‘handmade and machine’. Their government make sure that the product that are hand made done by the youths are costlier than the machine made. This serve as an encourage to their youths to acquire such skills and vocation. we are supposed to emulate this as a country.
“Nigerian youths presently need encouragement. Most of these youths are graduates, so if they resolve to acquire a skill, they need to be encouraged. For example, may be given a stipend while on training. It is because there is no encouragement, and that is why the youths are no longer willing to acquire skills and vocations. Some after training have no money to procure equipment. This is encouraging me to do more, but I will be more happy if the government is also encouraging Nigerian youths.
Describing Nigerian youths as brave and intelligent he called on the government to introduce some trades and vocations including farming and ensure they are buying the products from them to encourage them.
“There is no support and encouragement from the government for small-scale farmers. Government should be buying their farm produce, there would be no loss and so the farmers would be encouraged more. This is what they do in the developed countries.”
The planter of Christ Apostolic Church (CAC ) Goshen Land District Headquarters, Ilorin, Kwara State and Worldwide, Pastor Femi Fadiro (aka Anu yanju e) said vision can come to reality with faith.
“What Prophet Olu Alo has done or doing is the realization of his vision which God backed him to achieve. If God sees one as somebody who can move the nation forward and lift people up, God will continue to assist such a person with his vision.
He said the country’s current security and economic challenges are signs that the world is coming to an end. “But in time like this, the only thing we need to do is to intensity prayer for God’s intervention, so that things will come back to normal as we want.”
The Chairman of Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers, the Olojudo of Ido-Ekiti, Oba Ayorinde Ilori-Faboro who was at the event with his wife Ngozi, described Prophet Olu Alo as one of the great stars in Ido-Ekiti.
He has been helping and empowering youths, indigent students, widows and the aged.
“He had already established Adamimogo FM radio in Lagos and now in Ibadan, the next one is expected to be inaugurated in Ido-Ekiti in the next few months. He is a very important personality to us in the community and the entire Ekiti state. Our prayer is that God will continue to bless and uplift him and he will never fall.
“The new Radio station as one of the best around and God has been using the man of God to do excellent things.”
Also, the Chairman of Fresh FM Nigeria, Dr Yinka Ayefele commended the man of God for establishing the radio station and a way of providing jobs for the teeming unemployed youths in the country..
“You are a successful clergyman but you taught it wise that it is very essential for anyone blessed by God to you his or her God given resources to lift, bless and impact the life of others. This is exactly what you have done today.
Other dignitaries at the event include, Regional Superintendent CAC Essien Region, Pastor Isaac Olu-Eyebiokin, Pastor Akinola Fasawe, Lagos Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana was represented by A. Enerst, Dr Yemi Farounbi, former SSA to the president on Job Creation, Hon Afolabi Imoukhuede, Director of Nursing ABUAD, Dr (Mrs) Taye Olukolade, Femi Babalola of Jogor Centre, Ibadan among others.
NIGERIA TRIBUNE
