*Gov Diri Appeals To FG On Counterpart Funds
Bayelsa State Government has presented start-up packs and empowerment items to 366 pioneer trainees under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) programme.
Speaking during the graduation ceremony in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri, commended the beneficiaries for the successful completion of their training, which he said was designed to make them prosperous in line with the agenda of his administration.
A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Daniel Alabrah, quoted the governor as saying his administration places priority on human capital development and will do all within available resources to sustain similar empowerment programmes.
Governor Diri said the state was eager to move away from the tag of a civil service state to one with skilled individuals and entrepreneurs.
He charged beneficiaries to put the skills acquired into profitable use, stressing that the days of insisting on white-collar jobs were over.
Diri said that government expects the graduates not just to be self-reliant but to also be employers of labour so as to affect those around them and the economy of the state.
He said his administration was building technical colleges in the eight local government areas of the state in line with the government’s agenda to empower the youths with vocational skills.
He also appealed to the federal government to release its counterpart funds to enable the state government train and empower more people to be self-reliant.