Etsu Karu Tasks Gbagyi Youth On Skills Acquisition
By Akombo Aondona, Abuja
It was a colourful event at the weekend when the Gbagyi Kingdom Youth Association in Karu local government area of Nasarawa state converged at the Etsu Karu palace to cerebrate their cultural festival.
Addressing the gathering, the Minister of Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs, Hon. Zaphaniah B. Jisalo, urged Nigerians to exercise patience with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the current economic hardship, saying there will be light at the end of the tunnel.
The minister, represented by his Special Assistant, Mr. Abdulwahab Musa Gariki, tasked the youth to be disciplined to realize their potential.
The minister said: “I am proud of you, the youth of Karu. You organised this programme at a period the present administration comes up with a mantra of ‘Renew Hope’. I urge you the youth to form great unity not of graveyard but by all means be a discipline youth. Only if you do this, you stand to compete with every youth in the world.
“In the words of John Kennedy, “the youth of society that are in constant state of slumber will never realized their potentials”. I urge you not to sleep or slumber but be up and doing.
“For this initiative to build a youth center, I urge traditional rulers to give the youth the opportunity by communicating with them and granting them audience. I advise you to always talk to your leaders in good manners so that they can understand you, not in arrogance that will elicit their anger.
” I want to assure Nigerians that we are in the period where patience is our watch word. A lot of things has happened, but with God, all things will be possible. Let’s agree that there are challenges in our country, but that does not mean we will put before us negetivity. Let’s be positive in our dealings and this will come to pass. We hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel. The President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is working hard to bring the desired change.”
Also speaking at the event, the Etsu Karu, His Royal Highness, Pharm. Dr. Luka Panya Baba urged all Gbagyi youths to engage in skills acquisition programmes in order to be self-reliant.
The Etsu Karu said: “Let me welcome all of us to this very important occasion, the cerebration of the Gbagyi culture and tradition which is being organized by the Gbagyi Kingdom Youth Association.
“I want to commends the president and members of the executive committee and indeed the entire Gbagyi youth of the chiefdom for committing themselves, their time and energy to organize this very important event today.
“This event is so important and critical to us as Gbagyi people. Events like this give us the platform and opportunity to showcase our culture and tradition. Any group of persons or communities that does not have a culture, it means they have no identity. So this event has continued to give us the platform to show who we are as Gbagyi people and to sustain our identity, culture and tradition.
“This has given us a platform to also interact and share ideas, grow our knowledge and prepare us better for the challenges of the future for self-development and progress.
“There is no doubt that there is a first time for everything particularly organising an important event like this. We must recognize that this executives of the Gbagyi Kingdom Youth Association of Karu local government, this is their first time of organising an event like this.”
In his welcome address, the President of the Gbagyi Kingdom Youth Forum, Comr. Ishaku John, called on all Gbagyi people to support the association to acquire land to build a Secretariat for the association.
He thanked Governor Abdullahi Sule and traditional leaders for their support.
He said: “We thank our able Governor H.E.Engr A A sule, the Executive chairman of Karu LGA Hon Thomas James, HRH Esu Karu who have keyed into the Agenda for Building Peace and Unity in Karu and the state at large which give us good atmosphere to gather at this point. We thank all our political leaders and everyone present who contributed in one way or the other.
“We acknowledge with thanks the record of appointment of our very own in Karu and Gbagyi Nation especially Hon Dauda Karshi and many others by the governor of Nasarawa state.
“The KARU KNI GBAGYI YOUTH FORUM Karu LGA, Nasarawa State of Nigeria is the coming together of Gbagyi sons and daughters comprising of various Communities, Districts, Chiefdoms in the Karu LGA, Karshi and Panda Development Areas and in diaspora with the aim of protecting the legitimate interest of the members by promoting their intellectual, social, oral and cultural activities with motto; PEACE, UNITY AND DEVELOPMENT, incorporated, with a logo of a man carrying hoe on his shoulder, and a woman carrying a calabash on her shoulder with a lovely Slogan ; “Agbagyi Yila Kukala” response: “Efye – Lagyi”.
“This forum is here to practise harmonized cultural festival where all Gbagyi-speaking persons converge to share ideas. It is scheduled for Easter Saturday every year, to intensify unity and to promote cultural heritage, peaceful co- existence and traditions among both indigenes and non-indigenes alike.”
Comrade John listed some challenges within the group to include “unity, amendments to the Constitution. Harmonization of association name with certificate from the Corporate Affairs Commission and bank accounts, cultural festival , purchase of land for erection of youth centre formation of committees, politics, youths employment/empowerment, education/ scholarship for the youths.
“Accordingly, we proposed N30,000,000 million budget to enable us acquired the land and build our Secretariat.
“The KARU KNI GBAGYI YOUTH FORUM has no land nor youth center. Our meetings have been either under trees or borrowed/ rented venues. Our aim is to have a youth center of our own like (Mrs Jumai Aduda )Youth Center Old Karu, which consists offices, ICT Units, the meeting or events hall with over 1,000 seaters capacity.
“We believe that God will use you to actualize our aims and objectives knowing fully that if these needs are given serious consideration, they will boost our economy in Karu LGA, the state and the entire nation.
Highlights of the event included the traditional cultural troupe performance.
Congratulations to Gbagyi