Agric: Nwifuru tasks FG on youth engagement
By Douglas Okoro
Gov. Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi has urged the Federal Government to intensify efforts to engage youths in practical agriculture, noting that hunger and idleness fuel online anger and misinformation.
Nwifuru made the call on Friday in Abakaliki when the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, paid him a courtesy visit during the minister’s tour of federal projects in the state.
He said that engagement of youths in practical agriculture would properly channel their energy and potential in meaningful ventures and deter them from engaging in destructive social media activities.
He called for the imposition of restrictions on social media usage to curb the spread of unfounded information about national development.
The governor said that while government was not out to control the youths, it had a responsibility to protect them from misinformation and the negative impact of false social media reports.
“While growing up as a young man, it was always a thing of joy to own a farm but these days, youths hardly engage in agricultural activities.
“It is high time we put serious restrictions especially on unfounded stories.
“You go to social media and see posts declaring someone dead while the person is hale and hearty, yet the writer faces no sanction. This is not how a country should operate,” Nwifuru said.
On the performance of the President Bola Tinubu administration, Nwifuru said activities of several ministries were under-reported, giving the impression that only the Ministries of Works and the Federal Capital Territory were active.
According to him, this is the first time since Nigeria’s independence in 1960 that an Igbo man has been appointed Minister of Works, describing the current minister, Chief David Umahi as vibrant and committed.
“He left his signature in Ebonyi which will be very hard for anybody to erase and we are proud and confident that he will leave same signature in the Federal Ministry of Works,” the governor said.
He expressed confidence that with Tinubu’s achievements in physical infrastructure and human capital development cutting across the length and breadth of the country, his re-election in 2027 was guaranteed.
The governor pledged the full support of Ebonyi people in achieving the goal.
He lauded the president for establishing the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which he said, had attracted over 400,000 student beneficiaries.
The governor also commended the Ebonyi postgraduate scholarship scheme aimed at training indigenes at Masters and Doctorate levels in local and foreign universities.
Nwifuru added that the state had improved infrastructure and staffing in secondary schools to raise the quality of education.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Maureen Atuonwu
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