By Adedapo Adesanya
The Delta State Government has reiterated calls to the federal government to resuscitate the Warri Port in the state to address the prevailing unemployment in the country.
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa made the call yesterday at a town hall meeting held with the youth, comprising #EndSARS protesters, civil society groups, students, community leaders among others at the Government House Annex in Warri.
“With the congestion of the ports in Lagos, federal government should revive Warri Port and other seaports in Delta to boost the nation’s economy and create employment for the youth,” he said.
Mr Okowa said that the rate of unemployment was alarming.
He said that his administration had adopted skills acquisition and entrepreneurship programmes as measures to tackle unemployment in the state.
“We will try to improve on our processes of helping our youths to acquire skills and provide them with starter packs.
“The more active ports we have the better for the nation; our port is not working the way it ought to be.
“The Warri channel needed to be dredged and the Federal Government has awarded phase one of the dredging.
“Until phase two is awarded, we will not be able to achieve any success story on that,” he said.
The Governor thanked the youth for coordinating themselves peacefully and assured that his administration would address some of the issues raised by the youth at the meeting.
He said that the state government was building the multi-billion Naira storm water drainage system in Warri to address the perennial flooding in the city.
The Governor also said that the Warri Stadium would be rehabilitated after the flooding ravaging the area had been successfully addressed.
He then used the opportunity to urge the youths to show interest in governance who in turn called on the government to bridge the gap between it and the youth by way of giving them the opportunity to participate in governance.
Dipo Olowookere