By Kenneth Onuoha
The Zonal Director of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) South-East, Mr Ike Okere, has urged youths to first acquire a skill or professional competence before going into politics.
Okere gave the advice on Sunday in Enugu during Enugu Business and Politics Summit with the theme: “Mainstreaming Young Credible Individuals in Business and Politics as Panacea for Innovation and Progress’’.
The summit was organised for youths in honour of the 37th birthday of Mr Chukwuma Okenwa, the Executive Director of Leadership and Entrepreneurship Advocacy (LEAD) Network.
The FRCN boss said that any youth aspiring for political post must work very hard and get “economic independence first before setting out’’.
According to him, you must get prepared financially and ensure you can feed your family first from your economic independence and when you are done with politics you go back to your previous profession or skill.
Okere said: “Politics is never a profession; it remains a service that last for a set time.
“But the skills or professional competence you acquire through education is meant to last for as much as your life time and you continue to feed from it’’.
Another speaker, Mr Ekene Uzodimma, a renowned young farmer, urged youths to take advantage of farming and its huge profit potentials.
“Today, agric produce sells more and we have better pricing and better knowledge on its preservation.
“So, I do not see much holding youths back from going into agricultural full time,’’ Uzodimma said.
Later, Okenwa said that the summit was meant to create that consciousness among young people that they are not too-young to take up responsibility and “they should move beyond the musical and entertainment space’’.
He said that there was a need for young people to go into business and politics, where young people are largely excluded.
Okenwa, who is a youth mentor and motivator, said: “We want them to know that they too can become successful business man or woman as well as a successful politician too.
“However, there is a need for them to build credibility and discipline before the public will bank on them to give them sensitive and serious responsibilities such as business and political posts’’.
No fewer than 200 youths from all works of life within and outside Enugu metropolis attended the summit, where other youths’ motivational speakers advised youths on proper use of time and opportunities.