Presidency plans chamber of commerce for Niger Delta youths

The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has said that the Presidency would sustain the ongoing anti-corruption fight and ensure that the system is cleaned up so that government business was done the right way.

He said this in Abuja during a courtesy visit by the Nigerian Association of Law Teachers (NALT) in the State House on Tuesday where he acknowledged that the fight against corruption was a difficult one.

His words: “If we are not able to sustain the war against corruption, we will end up in a very, very bad way as a nation. The Defence contract of $15 billion which was frittered away in people’s pockets is half of Nigeria’s foreign reserves. We have seen it in so many different ways that at almost every state, corruption fights back and fights very fiercely.”

He however, cautioned that as a nation “we should be able to examine our priorities because for us, corruption is not a moral issue but an existential issue.”

“To a large extent, it will determine whether we will survive as a corporate whole because of the way people feel that when I get into an office I will go after the resources of the state and I will go after it in the most vicious and the most reckless manner that is possible.”

In a statement issued by his Senior Special Adviser on Media and Publicity,Laolu Akande, the Vice President urged that in response to the malaise of corruption, the intellectual elite, whether religious, political academic must stand up for what was right.

Earlier, the leader of the Association, Prof. Godwin Nwabueze Okeke, commended the Vice President for the visit and asked him to declare open the forthcoming 50th Conference of the Association scheduled to hold at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State in June.

He said the Association was ready to partner with the federal government and also offer assistance whenever called upon.

Also, at a separate meeting, Osinbajo restated federal government’s commitment to support the establishment of a Chamber of Commerce for young people in the Niger Delta region to drive creativity and entrepreneurship.

He spoke when he met with a delegation of Niger Delta Expatriates Mentorship Committee, an initiative of the Minister of Niger Delta, Uguru Usani Uguru in his office.

Osinbajo commended the initiative and noted that the expatriate mentorship scheme which is in partnership with UNESCO aligns with the commitment of the Presidency for the region and is capable of catalysing development in the region.

He observed that the international mentorship/internship will expose beneficiaries to international standard, best business practice and technology.

Leader of the organization and Chief Mentorship Officer, Chika Olejeme said under the National Expatriate Mentorship Strategy, selected youths will be sent abroad for international mentorship and internship.

About 30 countries in Europe and the United States of America have already signed up to the programme.