Aware of the fact that government cannot engage everybody in the public service of the state, and the need for government to solve the daunting challenges of unemployment and underemployment, the Governor of Delta State, Sen. Dr Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa established the job creation office with a view towards creating sustainable wealth for deltans, especially the youths.

Mindful of similar interventions in the past and the inability of the previous schemes in meeting the yearnings of our people, Gov Okowa remodeled the job creation program to prepare our youths as entrepreneurs by securing their future as wealth creators and job creators instead of preparing them for employment as was the case in previous programmes.

Sustainable wealth creation has to do with providing youths with the requisite skills to become entrepreneurs. Interestingly, the government is not only providing the skills and setting up beneficiaries but it has gone a step further to mentor and provide support services for their business after they have completed their training through the Directorate of Youth Monitoring and Mentoring.

On the other hand agriculture remains the largest sector that can significantly improve the country's GDP and ensuring food availability and sufficiency for all, which will translate to creating employment opportunities for a greater number of people who will be involved in the agriculture value chain. The YAGEP component of the job creation program deals with agricultural development such as fisheries, livestock and crop production.

Government is providing an enabling environment for agriculture to thrive and attract investment in the sector by providing land and security. It is noteworthy to state that the oil economy itself does not impact strongly on the average Nigerian.

Though you make money out of it, it is an economy that does not create a lot of jobs. Over the years we have continued to rely on the oil economy and it made us lazy unable to explore alternative sources of revenue. We need to redirect our efforts, and ensure greater commitment towards diversifying the Nigerian economy, driven by agriculture and technology which Gov Okowa is committed to achieving with the states job creation programmes.

I want to charge beneficiaries of STEP and YAGEP to make good use of their training and empowerment in expanding the scope of their businesses and in turn create jobs for others.

Away from job creation, Okowa's economic management team has been able to manage the state's resources in such a manner as to meet certain obligations of government as well as prioritize government spending to meet the needs and aspirations of deltans. Effective financial management entails having value for money spent.

For this reason, the state government has a huge task of transforming the state to a modern city and enhance the quality of life and improve the quality of infrastructure in the state.

Okowa's Prosperity for all Deltans mantra is not a propaganda but a genuine commitment towards improving quality of infrastructure as well as improvements the living conditions of the people.

There is no doubting the fact that Okowa has the capacity to do more. He has proven this in no small way, by embarking on transformation projects as well as sustainable wealth creation programs which are visible for all to see. It is imperative that that we give him the maximum support for him to continue in office and develop our dear state because it is our collective responsibility to build the Delta of our dreams as we make progress on the positive side.

Good one

A government that empowers it's people is a government of the people.