ECOSOCC is an advisory body of the African Union designed to give Civil Society Organisations a voice in AU institutions and decision-making processes.
Mr Tunji Asaolu, first Nigerian representative of the Permanent General Assembly of AU-ECOSOCC, said this at a one-day interactive session on the state of affairs: role of youths and investiture of Chinyere as agenda-2063 ambassador in Abuja.
The event was organised by the African Youth International Development Foundation and Wewe Network Afrique in collaboration with the AU-ECOSOCC Nigeria.
Asaolu said, “You are appointed because you basically deserved it, we wish to celebrate you in a more modest, but bigger way.
“What we are doing today is just to demonstrate such, we are appointing you as an African role model, because it is exactly what you are.
“We are doing this because we want other people to actually emulate you; imagine if we have more Nigerians doing like you across the country, particularly encouraging people to surrender their guns.
“I am sure kidnapping will drastically be reduced, and the environment will be safer for all of us; this is the Pan-African spirit we are re-awakening.
“Pan-African spirit is fast eroding and we are trying to re-awaken that mindset; you are also AU Agenda-2063 ambassador, to promote the implementation of the set goals.”
In a keynote address, Mr Charles Folayan, Head, Strategy and Business Development of the Pan-African Chamber of Culture, Trade and Investment, said that the choice of Chinyere was based on his contributions towards youth development.
According to him, the appointment was based on Chinyere’s outstanding humanitarian contributions to the vulnerable, in the area of youth empowerment, rehabilitation and healthcare outreach for women and children.
“We are celebrating a man who is not a politician; when the missionaries came, they did not only bring Christianity, but education and other means to help our people out of poverty.
“It is unfortunate that we have many well placed persons, yet not all of them place priority on helping the needy.
“So, when we have a clergyman doing good work to help vulnerable people in the country, we want others to emulate such,”Folayan said.
Responding, Chinyere said that the OPM empowerment initiatives were borne out of the need to promote youth development in the country.
According to him, youths are leaders of tomorrow, if states and the Federal Government could concentrate more on empowering youths, through skills acquisition programme, a lot could be achieved.
“This nation is built on the youths, if youths are empowered, the nation is empowered.
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“We have not been able to achieve enough, at least we have more than 10, 000 youths trained under OPM and they are now entrepreneurs.
“If this can be replicated in different areas of our economy, we can achieve 90 per cent, if not 100 per cent targets in our national goals.
“Youths should take over the realm, the only way our country can move forward is when the youths take over its affairs”, he said.
The high point of the event was the presentation of plaque and vehicle plate number titled: “AU Agenda-2063 Amb24” to Chinyere by Asaolu.
(NAN)
