Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Usman Ododo, has asked youths in the state not to allow themselves to be used as agents of destruction any longer.
Ododo made this known while speaking on Tuesday in Lokoja, the state capital, at the World Bank-assisted empowerment of 500 youths and women beneficiaries of the Live Stock Productivity and Resilient Project.
The governor said that the Federal Government, under the leadership of President Bola Tunubu has been putting many initiatives in place to support the masses, including youths and women.
He called on those bent on protesting to have a rethink and allow reason to prevail so as not to reverse the gains of the last 13 months.
He said, “To those Nigerians who are bent on violent protests, let reasoning prevail. We are making progress. We are moving forward. Our hopes are back. We are climbing back to reckoning. Any violent protest at a time like this will no doubt reverse our gain in the past 13 months.
“The intent of the promoters of protest in Nigeria is concealed in political desperation. I call on all the youth of our dear nation to rally behind Mr President in his determination to get the nation back on track.
He said that it aligns seamlessly with his administration’s short-, medium-, and long-term plan to make the state the epic centre of livestock production in Nigeria.
“We are determined to achieve the project development objective here in Kogi State. Let me seize this moment to congratulate the 500 women and youth poultry farmers and entrepreneurs selected as beneficiaries of this lovely project following the rigorous selection process by World Bank standards,” he added.
The governor assured the World Bank that the state government would provide the necessary support and political will needed to make the project a huge success.
“I want to assure the World Bank that we shall continue to inject our projects with great political will and zeal to the benefit of our great people,” he added.
He announced N100,000 for all beneficiaries as logistic support for their various businesses.
