By Emeka Samuel,Uyo
The Office of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), has charged youths in the Niger Delta region to “rise above the entitlement mentality”, to set the stage for success.
Interim Administrator of PAP, Major General Barry Ndiomu (Rtd), gave this charge while speaking last weekend in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom, at the 3rd Niger Delta MSME Summit.
“If you rise above entitlement mentality, the sky will be too small to be your starting point. Everybody stands a chance,” he said, adding that the youths must begin to think out of the box and come up with innovative ideas.
Ndiomu said the war between Russia and Ukraine has exposed the harsh realities surrounding grains globally. “There is scarcity of grains, starch globally now, and we have cassava plantations all over the region,” he said, noting that very soon, brewery companies in Nigeria will start looking for starch. “This global shift affects everybody”.
The interim Administrator who was represented by Musa Wilfred, PAP’s Head of Reintegration, thus advised the youths to heighten awareness, and take advantage of the current situation.
He reiterated that the “mandate” of PAP remains “to manage the destiny of thousands of youths and we have decided to begin to reason outside the box”.
“We must understand the times and take advantage properly. We must map out opportunities. We must be in a place where we are able to adequately predict the future. We must innovate, we must remind our delegates that there is virtue in adversity, resilience. Good things don’t come cheap.
“There is a notion about the region out there, and we must all agree jointly to alter that narrative.
“As young business owners, you must understand that beyond innovation, collaboration, networking, access to funds, loans and grants, lobbying, you have a role to play. You must embrace discipline, mentoring. You must understand that good things don’t come easy. You must understand that for every height you want to attain, there is a price to pay. Young leaders must be ready and willing to pay the price,” Ndiomu said.
While advising the youths to keep a calm head, he reminded them that skill without character is useless. “You must be worthy in skill and character”.