Sixty-five Rivers youths sponsored by the Action Alliance candidate in the June 20 Rivers South-East Senatorial bye-election, Dr Fabeke Douglas, have graduated from the Global School of Leadership, Management and Governance after undergoing two months of intensive training in human rights, management and leadership.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony in Port Harcourt on Thursday, Fabeke said the scholarship programme was part of his campaign promise to sponsor 500 Rivers youths for global skills training.
He said his failure to secure the senatorial seat would not deter him from fulfilling his commitment to youth empowerment across the state.
According to him, more than 200 youths applied for the programme, but 65 were selected after a rigorous screening exercise.
He said the beneficiaries were drawn from different parts of Rivers State, including Ogoni, Andoni, Degema, Ikwerre, Opobo/Nkoro, Ogu-Bolo and Abua/Odual.
Fabeke explained that the beneficiaries were exposed to professional training, research, assignments and presentations, with resource persons drawn from various professional organisations.
He said the graduates would also have opportunities to participate in further training, scholarships and paid internships.
“We are bringing them into the human rights forum. In the next two weeks, they will go for another two-day course, and there are platforms for them to access scholarships and paid internships,” he said.
Fabeke urged the graduands to deploy the knowledge acquired to defend vulnerable people, promote justice and contribute positively to their communities.
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He described the certificate as not merely an academic qualification but a responsibility to uphold human dignity, integrity, justice and good governance.
He further urged the youths to resist political thuggery and other activities capable of undermining their future, advising them instead to acquire skills, build careers and contribute meaningfully to society.
“Go and be the voice for the voiceless. Don’t go and follow politicians and begin to carry placards and wear T-shirts without knowing the direction where you are going. It affects destinies, and it causes limitation to your future growth,” he said.
Fabeke also disclosed that his organisation had established partnerships with companies and other organisations to create employment and internship opportunities for young people.
He said one of the partners, Boza, was preparing to commence operations in Rivers State and would recruit and train youths in areas including marketing, architecture and other fields.
He announced plans to commence another batch of the youth empowerment programme, noting that the number of beneficiaries would likely remain between 60 and 65 due to the cost of training.
The facilitator of the programme urged the graduands to put the knowledge and skills acquired into practice by supporting their friends, families and communities and striving to become better versions of themselves.
He said those interested in pursuing careers in human rights advocacy had been equipped with the requisite skills to begin, while others could apply the knowledge gained in their respective professional fields.
The facilitator also called for the introduction of human rights education in primary and secondary schools as well as universities, citing the increasing cases of rights violations across the country.
He urged the graduands to remain committed to personal development and positive impact, telling them to “explore, be yourself, develop yourself and conquer the world.”
The ceremony featured the presentation of certificates to the 65 graduands, who also took an oath of commitment to uphold the principles of justice, equity, integrity and good governance. If you want, I can also give you 5 sharper newspaper headlines for this story.
