GHENETEGA Oritse is a young, married man who had to leave Sapele for Oviri-Olomu Community in Delta State because he was unable to raise funds to establish his electrical skills which he had spent thousands of naira to learn.
In order not to stay idle, he de- cided to go back to his community and start a wood processing job which earned him a paltry sum of money which would have been sustainable for him and his family, but for the economic situation in the country.
He told Saturday Tribune how the situation of the country is affecting him and almost choking life out of him.
Hear him: “My name is Oghene- tega Oritse. I am 33 years old. I was born in Oviri-Olomu Community, Delta State. I didn’t grow up in the town. I left for Sapele to hustle when I just turned 20, but I came back here about two years ago. I was learning to become an electrician and that was what I was doing to take care of myself in Sapele before I came back.
“When I finished learning, there was no money to set up my own business, so I had to leave Sapele to come back to the village to see if I could see any other thing to do to help myself.
“When I came back, I started producing and selling woods in the village.
“The plan was that for every wood I produce, there is a percentage of money I give to the person that connected me to the job.
“The plan was to gather enough money then go back to Sapele to set up and continue my electrical work.
“I would have gone back before this time, but things are hard, that’s why I haven’t been able to gather the right amount of money I need. The work doesn’t come every day.
“I haven’t gone to work this week because it hasn’t come and that is because the person sponsoring me in this work traveled.
“It’s quite sapping how things have become so hard in this coun try such that to gather some money to begin a trade, one has learnt appears impossible.
“If I’ve got some money or starter packs to begin the trade I learnt in Sapele, by now I should be adequately fending for myself.
“This country finds it difficult to help its youth in getting them engaged in something legitimate and lucrative; now you can see why some of us seek alternative means of survival that are antisocial!
“I need help; help to set up my electrical trade that I’d spent time to learn in Sapele. I don’t want to go into crime. It’s not the best. I can’t afford to soil my family’s name.
“But government at all levels should design a sustainable way of drawing the youth from vices by getting them engaged in worth- while endeavours.
“Having made efforts to acquire skills, which the government could not do for me, shouldn’t they now help to stabilise me by providing people like me with some funds to jumpstart the electrical trade I had learnt?”
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