Minister of State Industry, Trade and Investment, Chief Dr Samuel Ortom, has described public-private partnership to provide youths with relevant skills as the panacea to the massive unemployment in the country.
He spoke at the graduation of 70 youths of Benue State origin who were trained in assembling and maintaining tricycles by TVS King Training Counsultants through an initiative of the National Automotive Council.
The one week training took place at the hall in at the premises of the NKST Church, Iortyer in Makurdi.
Chief Dr Ortom maintained that it was evident the world over that government alone cannot provide jobs for the employed hence the partnership became imperative.
The governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party in Benue State expressed happiness that his pledge to partner with the church for the development of the state which he made at the recent NKST Synod at Mkar has started manifesting even though he was yet to be given the mandate.
He appealed to youths not to despise small beginnings but to be determined to excel through commitment and hard work adding that God was capable of lifting any of them to the highest position in the land if they did their best.
Chief Dr Ortom said he came to the event from the graduation ceremony of the Sev Av Foundation of Benue’s First Lady at which hundreds of youths passed out with various skills adding that the development was the right step in the right direction and commended Governor Gabriel Suswam and is wife, Architect Deaconness Dooshima Suswam for the initiative.
He also expressed appreciation to President Goodluck Jonathan for the deliberate efforts his administration was making to tackle unemployment and poverty through such schemes as introduced by the National Automotive Council and pledged to request that those recommended for further training in Lagos from Benue State be increased from 10 to 20.
Speaking earlier the Director General of the National Automotive Council, Alhaji Aminu Jalal, represented by Mrs. Tina Obi, a director at the council, stated that the training was a deliberate effort to empower the youths.
Leader of the training consultants, Engr. Augustine Obinna, commended participants for excellent performance and requested the establishment of a service center in the state.
Spokesman of the participants, Mr. Tavershima Shawon, expressed appreciation for the training and requested loans to purchase tools and sponsorship for further training in Lagos.