• Laud Belemaoil for checking pipeline vandalism in Niger Delta
Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt
Youth leaders of different ethnic nationalities and past presidents of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) have resolved to step up campaigns against violence in the 2019 general election in the country.
This is as they said the founder and President of Belemaoil Producing Limited, Mr. Jack-Rich Tein Jr., has steered youths in the Niger Delta region away from crime by providing them with jobs.
The youth organisations, comprising the Arewa Youths, the Ijaw Youth Council, Middle Belt Youths, Northern Youth Coalition, Ohaneze Youth Council, Nigeria Youth Organisation, National Youth Coalition, Oduduwa Youths, Ndigbo Youth Organisation, Urhobo Youth Council and the Nigeria Youth Parliament, made the commendation yesterday in a communiqué issued in Abuja at the end of an extraordinary joint congress of the NYCN and Ethnic Nationalities Youth Organisations.
The National President of Ohanaeze Youth Council, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, who read the communiqué, said the decision to commence a nationwide advocacy for non-violent participation of youths in the forthcoming 2019 general election was to ensure that the elections were peaceful.
He said: “It is the decision of Nigerian youths, cutting across every organisation represented here today, to commence a nationwide advocacy for non-violent participation of Nigerian youths in the forthcoming 2019 general election in the country.
“There is no doubt that young people are always typically blamed for election violence whenever it occurs. Therefore, we have come to inform Nigerians and the international community of our resolve to sensitise Nigerian youths, towards denouncing violence before, during and after the elections. Our powerful message remains that violence has no place among our youths who must rise as ambassadors, who would denounce political disturbances and violence under any guise. We shall work with the government and every stakeholder in the electoral chain to achieve this noble objective.”
The youth leaders also noted and commended founder and President of Belemaoil Producing Limited, Mr. Jack-Rich Tein Jr., for steering youths in the Niger Delta region away from crime by providing them with jobs.
They particularly noted that youths in the Kula axis of Rivers State are no longer restive or engaging in pipeline vandalism, cultism, sea piracy and other social vices due to the decision of Belemaoil founder to engage them in meaningful ventures and legitimate means of livelihood.
They said Tein has created thousands of employments and economic empowerment opportunities for youths across the country.
The groups stated that the significant role of Tein in youth empowerment and development is largely responsible for the peace and stability currently witnessed in the oil-rich Kula kingdom which they said has led to increase in oil production and revenue of the country.
They also lauded plans by Tein to extend his employment and economic empowerment programme to other parts of the country by employing 111 youths and training over 2,253 from the 36 states of the country, including Abuja in 2019.
The youth leaders also expressed gratitude to him for extending his philanthropic gesture to the northern part of the country by providing potable water and road infrastructure in Katsina, Sokoto, Gombe and Bauchi States as well as providing succor to victims of Boko Haram insurgency in the North-east state of Adamawa.
The communique stated: “Mr. Jack-Rich has tremendously demonstrated his belief in the youth movement through his unparalleled philanthropy and wealth creation, which initially began in several communities in the Nigeria Delta region of the country, but have now opened opportunities for youths across the country through creation of thousands of employment opportunities for the youths, provision of skill acquisition training and other forms of youth empowerment.”
