Bianca Iboma
The gubernatorial candidate of the Alliance for Democracy (AD),in Lagos State, High Chief Owolabi Salis, has linked poverty, ethnic politics, godfatherism as major threats to national development.
Owolabi said for any society to experience real development it has to empower the voiceless and less privileged in the society.
The United States of America-based Attorney said there was need to promote democracy and good governance in order to prevent poverty.
Salis who said that Nigeria’s democracy is lacking equity, stating that until every section of the country was given equal shot at leadership, the wheel of national development will continue to slow down.
He made this statement during the graduation ceremony of over 300 beneficiary of the Lagos Youths Skill Acquisition Empowerment Programme at the Surulere centre.
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The initiative is a three months training programme sponsored by the Owolabi Salis Foundation.
He said that the Foundation has nothing to do with politics because this milk of kindness started out of compassion long before his political quest.
“I am passionate about the needy. I want to put smiles on the faces of the indigent across Lagos State with several persons graduating from the skill acquisition programme organised by my foundation.
Salis said Nigerian youths involve in bespoke tech need to be expose to modern technology for their hand craft to experience growth.
He said Nigerians have the content but that it is the finishing and packaging that is lacking.
“This is my reason for preaching grassroots governance and economy.
“I am wearing clothes and shoes made in Nigeria by some of the beneficiaries of the empowerment initiative.”
He added that the beneficiaries of this training is currently up 48,000 in Ikotun center 780 and at Imota 500 to mention a few.
“I am wearing clothes and shoes made by this beneficiaries to me they are the best clothes I have ever worn,” he said.
Salis while addressing the beneficiaries said, “I don’t believe in theory but practical which is better than theory.
“My target is based on meeting the daily needs and empowering the youths to fend for themselves.”
He urged the elite to encourage local production by patronising them it would go a long way to boast our economy.
He said the blueprint and tools needed for the strategic progress of Lagos state he already know.
“I have the blueprint and tools depository book for grassroots govermance. I call it Tunning System and would not expose the procedural approach at the moment”, Owolabi stated.
He said an area he would encourage the youths to acquire is the building and construction skill, he discovered that only a few persons turned out for that particular vocation.
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Also, Coordinator of the event and AD’s House of Representatives candidate, Mrs. Abiola Afolabi-Ada, said: “No leader can claim to be developing a nation without developing the people.
“This is why sponsorship of this programme is true leadership.”
One of the beneficiaries, Raji Idowu, expressed excitement, saying she is privileged and grateful to be part of the programme.
Idowu said entrepreneurship is something she has interest in and can now go out and make a change for herself as well as the society with the knowledge she has on bespoke tech.