Celebration as Owan West Youth Foundation is launched

It was celebration galore when the much awaited and publicized Owan West Youth Foundation (OWYF) was launched on Wednesday, December 17th, 2020. 

The event which had hundreds of youths in attendance witnessed a lot of dancing and jubilation by the would be beneficiaries of the scheme. 

The youths were full of appreciation to the Executive Chairman of the Council, Hon. Frank Ilaboya, for coming up with the package that is designed to secure their future.

In his goodwill message, His Excellency,  the Edo State Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu, ably represented by the immediate past Commissioner for Youths, Sports & Special Duties, Hon. Damian Lawani, congratulated Hon. Ilaboya for initiating the Foundation, which he described, as a  project other LGAs in Edo State will ultimately copy from. 

“This is a welcome development and there is need to key into this laudable project, because anything that affects the youths affects the nation. 

“There is need to give the youths proper place and attention, which is in line with the Governor Godwin Obaseki led administration’s policy.

“What the Owan West Local Government Council Chairman has done today is one of the biggest investments in human capital development and I commend him for coming up with this brilliant initiative,” Lawani stated in his goodwill message.

Chairman of the occasion, Dr. Godwin Ehigiamosoe, while speaking via Zoom lauded the initiative  of the council boss, aimed at creating opportunities for the youths and assured that he was happy to be part of the project. He urged all present to support  the scheme “as it will certainly help to secure the future of the youths.

“I am happy to be part of this great initiative. This is the only way to go. We must all join hands to secure the future of our youths.

“For me, I am always available to join forces with any action targeted at poverty alleviation and this Foundation resonates with my vision.

“Owan West Local Government Council Chairman, Hon Frank Ilaboya, deserves all the support for the scheme to succeed. That is where we come in,” the LAPO proprietor added.

In his opening remark, Hon Frank Ilaboya, thanked God for the idea and expressed thanks to His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Shaibu, ably represented by Hon. Lawani,  and a host of other dignitaries, for honouring the invitation. 

He congratulated the youths and assured them that, “a new and flourishing future beckon for our youth!

“I am so excited as I stand before you this afternoon because the future I am seeing is that of hope – great hope for that matter. A future where an Owan West youth will be the envy of his colleagues all over the nation. 

“By April next year, a new chapter of your lives would have been opened, when the first set of beneficiaries will emerge.”

Hon Ilaboya stated that four (4) categories of beneficiaries will be captured in the scheme; graduates without learned skills, graduates with learned skills, those still in school and those who couldn’t  make it to school but have acquired skills.

“Our emphasis has been on human capital development. And like our ‘Wake ‘n’ See’ Governor said during a seminar for a better local government administration last week, the best development is human capital development, and this has been our forte.”

He thanked the Chairman of the occasion,  the Trustees, Brand Ambassadors and all who contributed in one way or the other towards the Foundation and assured them that their sacrifices will be told for a very long time.”

High point of the ceremony was the distribution of the Foundation’s forms to prospective beneficiaries by the representative of Edo State Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon Shaibu.

Owan West Foundation is conceptualised to raise N100million in the next three years to ensure a flourishing future for the youths of 18 and 40 years. 

Financial contributions of N5,000 will be made by every working sons and daughters of the local government while the Council will contribute 1% of it’s monthly allocation to the fund.

A 10 member board of trustees has been set up to manage the scheme. First set of beneficiaries will emerge April next year, while the first phase of the package will run for three years, 2021 to 2023.