KADUNA STATE GOVERNMENT TO PARTNER WITH YOUTH COUNCIL

Abel Abaji (R) and Dep Gov Ramalan Yero

The Kaduna State Youth Council paid a courtesy call to Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, the Seat of Government in the State. I was part of the Youth Council delegation which consisted of 17 members of the 20 man Youth Council Executive Committee.


The Commissioners in attendance


Four other Commissioners (Finance, NGOS and Student Affiars, Poverty Alleviation, Youth and Sports Development) were in attendance at the meeting. In his brief speech, Mr. Abel Abaji, the Youth Council Chairman urged government to implement programmes that would benefit youth (e.g. job creation, sports and dialogue) and encourage youth participation in governance.

In his response, Alhaji Ramallan Yero, Deputy Governor of Kaduna State restated government position to support initiatives that are beneficial to youth. However, he stressed that some of these initiatives can be proposed by the Youth Council in accordance with stated policy provisions. He acknowledge the efforts of the Kaduna State Youth Council in seeking a stable partnership with the State Government and equally urged the Youth Council not to relent in its efforts but to intensify them as he was certain that Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa would listen and act accordingly.

Dep Gov Ramallan Yero (Centre) and KDSYouth Council

In closing the Deputy Governor urged the Youth Council to sustain its mobilization to keep youth out of violence, especially during the forthcoming general elections in April 2011.

TAKING TO BLOGGING



Dan F. Bassil

 

Phil Bartle



Two gentlemen have influenced my decision to start blogging. One of them is Dan F. Bassil of Cabrini Connections and TutorMentor Connections, Chicago, USA (http://www.tutormentorconnection.org/) and the other is Phil Bartle, Professor of Sociology and chief writer of the Community Communications Network (http://www.scn.org/). Both are wonderful gentlemen. Both of them have been working with and for communities for many years. Phil Bartle is now retired but not tired while Dan Bassil is still an active part of the network of mentors he has been working with since around 1973. I have been communicatiing with Dan Bassil for about five years now while I only got to know about Phil's work online around October 2010. Their impact on me has been tremendous. Thanks Dan, for encourging me to keep going even when the vision was not clear and for believing that I can bring something meaningful into being, something that will touch others for good - and for being there always. Thanks Phil for helping concretize the vision and the very helpful writings on community work.

As the weeks and months go by, I hope to keep posting stories of my activities and those of the Organization I run - the Global Community Prime Initiative (GCPI). Perhaps someone, someday, will have the opportunity of taking a casual look at this and find it useful. In the meantime, this particular write up begins a new phase for me and the work I do in the rural communities in the hinterland of Kaduna State, Nigeria.