A cleric and planter of the Christ Apostolic Church Adamimogo Grace of Mercy Prayer Mountain Worldwide, Prophet Sam Olu Alo, has said that fighting against unemployment is a collective responsibility.
Speaking at the commissioning of one of the media outfits Adamimogo 107.7FM he established in his country home of Ido-Ekiti, Ido/Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti state, recently, the cleric expressed concern about the increasing number of unemployed youths in the country, just as he noted that he was committed in the establishment of industries and providing platforms for the people, especially the youths.
He also noted that a good number of unemployed Nigerian youths are brought into farming as he has resolved to engage in oil palm, piggery, rice, cassava, and maize farming.
The cleric said he decided to embark on a 300-hectare multi-million naira agricultural project that would be cited in three communities in Ekiti State to further make his contribution towards reducing the upsurge of youth unemployment in Nigeria.
According to him, “Nigerian youths are suffering, government at all levels has a role to play in this regard but they can’t solve all their problems and the individuals also have a role to play by gearing more concerted efforts at making them employable.
“These things I am doing if had people encouraging me, maybe I would have been successful much earlier than now. But I have promised that everything in terms of opportunities that God gives me in life, I will use to serve the youths because, at a time in this town, I joined a bad gang. After all, I have no place to go.
“When I left this town with tears in my eyes, I have been telling God that as He is having mercy on me, I will be useful for all youths in and all over the world. If you look at the category of people employed in this radio station, you will see that several families will be impacted. This is how it is in Lagos and Ibadan stations. So, I know that my life has in one way or another affected the lives of people positively which they will never forget.
“The station brought glory to this town which will also boost the economy of this town as many indigenes of Ido Ekiti were engaged in the construction of the station and materials were purchased from the town too.
“The radio station is also for the discovery of the talents who were hitherto unknown where they were before now. This will make people know that there are stars yet to be discovered in our society.
Alo, however, lamented that many rich Nigerians have failed the country due to what he described as their “selfish attitude” being allegedly displayed towards youths’ emancipation in the society adding that, had it been that they (the rich) had used their resources being kept elsewhere abroad to establish industries at home that Nigeria would have been better in term of employment by now.
In his remarks, the Ekiti state governor, Biodun Oyebanji, commended the cleric for the establishment of the radio station, adding that it would in no small measure add to the socio-economic development of the state.
He assured media owners and practitioners operating in the state, as well as, government media outfits of unfettered freedom without any hindrance in the discharge of their duties.
Oyebanji, who stressed the importance of the media to information dissemination, recalled how the maiden broadcast by the then Military Administrator of Ekiti in 1997, Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed Bawa was aired outside Ekiti state through the Broadcasting Service of Osogbo in Osun State.
The governor, who was represented at the event by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information, Olusesan Alabi said: “We had to tune in to Oshogbo to hear what was happening in Ekiti because there was no radio or television station in Ekiti then” he said.
“We don’t meddle in the affairs or control even the stations owned by the government, not to talk of the ones owned by private individuals. We give the media unfettered freedom to do their job in Ekiti without any hindrance. I recalled that the first broadcast by the then military governor of Ekiti state, Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed Bawa, was aired outside Ekiti state; it was aired on the Broadcasting Service of Osogbo in Osun State.
“The one (radio) inherited at Ifaki Ekiti was no longer functioning as at then. But today if the same address is to be aired by the governor, we have at least 10 stations that will tune in for the broadcast. We are aware that communication is important and we receive both the news that is palatable and the ones that are not palatable. The palatable ones encourage us and the unpalatable news challenges us to do more,” he added.
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