The wife of Ondo state Governor, Mrs Betty Anyanwu Akeredolu has lent her support to the growth of entrepreneurial skills of Nigerian youths which can be deployed to develop the society. Mrs Akeredolu expressed her appreciation for the “can do” spirit of Mr. Okam Johnson, a National Youth corp member, serving at Ore in Odigbo Local government, for initiating the construction of a standard pedestrian concrete bridge as his personal community development project.
“I must congratulate the people of NASFAT village for being blessed with an innovative and forward thinking corps member like Okam Johnson, who initiated the construction of a standard pedestrian concrete bridge as his personal community development project. It’s interesting what corps members are doing in our communities. Just this week, i commissioned a borehole and toilet facility whose construction was initiated by another outstanding corps member in the lone secondary school of Ilu-Abo. Seeing young folks take up such initiatives gives me the assurance that all hope is not lost for our beloved country. Its obvious that the young have become restless: they are identifying problems and taking bold steps in addressing them.”
Mrs. Akeredolu charged other youth to take up initiatives that can improve the wellbeing of people in rural communities especially the marginalised ones.
She noted that the youth can no longer afford to be passive players in the development of the society any longer ,stressing that youths’ trendy skills, strength and novel ideas make them a key development player, who must take this responsibility with vigour.
Arabinrin Akeredolu maintained that the construction of the bridge for Odigbo community by a youth corps member who is neither from the community nor raised there is an indication that problems can be solved from within. “This impressive act by a visitor in your land should give you the push to critically diagnose your community to identify areas of need and initiate action to address such,” said the Ondo state Governor’s wife.
The Youth corp member, Okam Johnson thanked the Governor’s wife for her support, while he equally appreciated the chairman of Odigbo local government , Prince Adenikinju George for his immeasurable supportive role while the project lasted.
The state coordinator of NYSC, Mrs. Grace Akpabio saluted Okam for not being a lazy corp member who could have slept at home while the service year would have wound up. While congratulating him for the successful completion of the project, she said as far as the Nasfat Ore community is concerned, history has etched Okam Johnson’s name in gold.
The Chairman, Odigbo local government area, Prince Adenikinju George thanked everyone for their presence at the commissioning of the concrete bridge and also thanked the good people of Ore who had supported Okam Johnson in one way or the other towards the completion of the project.
Major highlight of the event was the cutting of the commissioning tape of the Pedestrian bridge by Ondo state Governor’s wife, Mrs Betty Akeredolu.
