Newsfront Online …Telling the Public as it is
The Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr. Aniekan Umanah has urged youths in the State to rise up and engage themselves in meaningful ventures to enable them stand up to the challenges and demands of the present day society.
The Commissioner gave the charge recently at the flag-off of the 2015 camping/training programme organized by National Orientation Agency for Community Support Brigade, held at St. Mary’s Senior Science College, Abak.
Mr. Aniekan Umanah, who took the salute and also declared open the programme, said youth potentials are very vital in the development of the State, as they form more than 50% of the entire State population of 6.2 projected and therefore called on youths to improve themselves through skills acquisition, to enable them contribute meaningfully to the development of the State.
Represented at the occasion, by a Deputy Director in the Ministry of Information and Communications, Mrs. Grace Akpan, the Information Commissioner acknowledged the laudable vision of the programme, geared at nurturing youths into a crop of disciplined, morally upright and patriotic brand, known as Community Support Brigade and charged participants to go a step further by inbibing the spirit of reverence to God, the source of inspiration, to lead them through.
Mr. Umanah decried the situation where youths the future hope and leaders of our Nation indulge in shameful and negative acts that debase our cherished culture and tarnish the image of the nation, such as cultism, gangsterism, social media crimes, dishonouring of instituted authorities and National symbols as well as disrespect of elders and called for a re-orientation of attitude.
He congratulated the organizers for complementing the Udom Emmanuel- government in youth development and listed some of the programmes so far undertaken in this regard to include: oracle training on computer soft ware management, Agricultural training for youths and the up-coming Photo and film production training, among others.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Abak local government Transition Caretaker Committee, Bar Emmanuel Udosen, applauded the Community Support Brigade, for its show of discipline, commitment patriotic zeal and pledged the support of his council and indeed that of the State government to the success of camping and training programme.
He commended National Orientation Agency, NOA, for retaining the disciplined spirit inherent in the erstwhile War against Indiscipline and Corruption, WAI-C in the present formation, and urged them to keep the flag flying for the interest of law and order in our society.
Earlier, the State Director of National Orientation Agency, Mr. Aniefiok Esetang, who welcomed all to the occasion said, the Community Support Brigade came on board in 2012, as a metamorphosis of the War Against Indiscipline and Corruption brigade of the Buhari/Idiagbon military government of 1984. He listed the basic training scope for the brigade to include: ethics and value re-orientation, community policing, election monitoring, fire fighting and prevention, citizenship and political education as well as first aid administration, among others.
Present at the occasion were: the representative of the Divisional Police Officer for Abak ASP Olia, the State Commandant of the Community Support Brigade, Pastor Friday Nsidibe, Abak Council staff, Chief Orientation and Mobilization Officers, COMOs and the trainees for the Community Support Brigade, among others.
