The Director General of the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), Gloria Akobundu, has called for an end to youth restiveness in Nigeria and promised to initiate programmes that will engage the youth positively.
Akobundu made the appeal in Isiala-Mbano Local Government Area (LGA) of Imo on Sunday at the final match of the football tournament she sponsored among the six LGAs in Imo North tagged “Partnership and Development Competition”.
She said NEPAD was saddled with the responsibility of implementing the African Union (AU) agenda of “silencing the gun“, adding that she planned to achieve it through community partnership.
She said the football tournament was one of her initiatives aimed at hunting for talents, uniting the youth and curbing restiveness.
Akobundu listed the three main focus of NEPAD to include Partnership, Prosperity and Productivity, pointing out that with community partnership, the three agendas would be implemented before the end of her four years tenure.
“The youth must shun restiveness and embrace peace and unity, we are working tirelessly to ensure that Social Development Goal (SDG) projects are fully implemented in various communities in Nigeria.
“We want to silence the gun, curb restiveness through youth engagement and community partnership, so I call on all the youths in Okigwe Zone to embrace peace,” she pleaded.
The NEPAD boss, who dedicated the tournament in honour of President Muhammadu Buhari, assured the people that Imo would continue to witness development programmes.
While stating that talented youths would be assisted to develop their talents in the West, Akobundu pledged to sustain the competition yearly.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the keenly contested competition was won by Ihite-Uboma team which defeated Obowo team.
Among the dignitaries at the football match were a former Speaker of the Imo House of Assembly, Chiji Collins, the Senior Special Assistant to Gov. Hope Uzodinma on Local Government Affairs, Rubbi Emele, among others. (NAN)
