From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Former Governor of Enugu State, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani has said the All Progressives Congress ( APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, is a better option for young persons in the 2023 general elections, owing to his antecedents.
Nnamani, who is also the senator representing Enugu East senatorial zone in the National Assembly, stated this a statement. He recalled that on assumption of office as Lagos governor, in 1999, Tinubu embarked on series of policies aimed at addressing the high unemployment rate amongst other challenges confronting the youth.
The former governor noted that the Lagos State government under the APC candidate distributed over one million Naira in grants to each of the registered voluntary youth organization to encourage them to be more productive.
According to him, “Lagos State at the period saw a significant influx of youths looking for better livelihood . Tinubu recognized that it would have been disastrous if left unattended, and therefore launched waves of reforms that re invigorated the economy and ensured that the vast majority of the working population, who were primarily youths, were employed.
“Tinubu also increased the annual funding for the rehabilitation agencies to over three million Naira and subsequently created youth centers so that people would participate in educational and recreational activities that would help them develop healthy self-esteem in a secure and well-supervised environment.
“Tinubu’s administration spent 14 million and four million Naira, respectively, to renovate the Onikan Youth Centre on Lagos Island and the Akinwunmi Youth Centre in Ikeja while Recreational facilities that had been abandoned for years were renovated, and open areas were transformed into places where youths could unwind and express their creativity in healthy ways.
“Vocational training centers were developed by Tinubu’s administration in March 2003 to rehabilitate hoodlums, neighborhood boys, and the homeless who were desirous of making a turning point in their lives by economically empowering them through training in professions like carpentry, shoemaking, hair dressing and tie-and-dye”.
Nnamani added that Tinubu also ” set up six job registration centers for all unemployed persons looking for meaningful employment or business opportunities. Along with that, he founded the LASU Information, Communication, and Technology Center (ICT).”