From TCNEWS
A one time Vice President of Fabricators Association of Nigeria and the traditional ruler of Uzi-Amizi autonomous community, Olokoro clan in Umuahia South L.G.A, of Abia State, HRH Eze Cyril Ogbenna, has called on the government to engage teachers with practical skills who will build in technical knowledge and skills in the pupils and students.
Eze Ogbenna, who interacted with our correspondent in his palace in Olokoro in commemoration of the year 2024 World Youth Skills Day, also advised that technical schools be revamped with sophisticated equipments installed to enhance practical learning to measure up with the modern world.World Youth Skills Day is celebrated on 15 July every year to raise awareness about the importance of technical, vocational education & training and the development of other skills relevant to both local and global economies.
He maintained that Nigeria economy will take a new shape, when the government realizes that technical skills acquisition promotion among the youths would eventually turn the country to what it supposed to be.
The traditional ruler who touched/torched on the theme for World Youth Skills Day 2024, “Youth Skills for Peace and Development”, observed that it highlights the crucial role that young people play in peace-building and conflict resolution efforts, especially now that the world is faced with a multitude of challenges, many of which affect the youth.
“The need of Nigeria presently is good leadership and good policies. Electricity should be given the optimal priority, because a country that could not boast of stable electricity, is like a stagnant water where frogs and mosquitoes settled down to enjoy themselves. Government should introduce technical skills acquisition training and engage our teachers in the programme at a subsidized rate if not free of charge. And after the training, the teachers should step it down to the pupils and students using the equipments installed in their various schools. We should preach more of the practical than the theoretical aspect of things”.
Eze Ogbenna renewed calls on the Abia State Government to reopen and revive the Abia tools in Umuahia and also engage the youths in an aggressive reorientation of the mindset as majority of the secondary school students are on the fast lane of get rich quick without labour or legal means of acquiring wealth.
Moreover, he reminded the government that a student who gained effectively practical technical skills would remain safe satisfied, because they will establish themselves and also be an employer of labour.