Date: 2018-08-31

The President of the Senate, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has offered to bankroll training of 700 youths in Kwara state on solar power installation and maintenance.

The beneficiaries would be trained under ABS MACO Solar Training Programme as part of measures to make them self reliant and reduce unemployment syndrome. Saraki stated this yesterday while addressing the youths at his ABS Mandate Constituency Office in Ilorin.

Speaking through the Director General, ABS Mandate Constituency Office, Alhaji Musa Abdullahi, the senate president also disclosed that the beneficiaries would be provided with equipment after the training.

He said his major priority as a leader was to build the capacity of youth across the state to ensure that they are positioned for future challenges. Saraki expressed worry over the rate of unemployment prevalent among the youth in the society and assured that efforts would be geared towards creating job opportunities for them.

He recalled that his office had facilitated employment opportunities for many Kwarans in the bid to curb restiveness.

The senate president, who emphasized the importance of youth in the society, urged the youth to be focused and shun all vices that could jeopardize their future.

Also speaking, the Director, Project and Empowerment, Mr Olayinka Ibrahim Otukoko, said the ABS constituency office had facilitated the installation of 4000 solar power in Kwara Central Senatorial District.

He stated that the training of the youth, which the office undertook, was to build the capacity of the youth in the area of renewable energy.

"The meeting we have just concluded here is a meeting between the beneficiaries of empowerment and youth capacity building programme that is centred around solar energy system as a renewable energy system that has high value in the market now.

"One of the Senior Legislative Aides of the Senate President in collaboration with the Constituency Office of the Senate President organized a training programme for unemployed youth in Kwara Central Senatorial District and across Kwara State where they would be trained on solar power installation and maintenance programme.

"Over 700 of them are being trained and the Senate President is ready to provide tool box or equipment with which these trainees would be doing certain maintenance activities and even installation of solar power system", Otukoko said.

At the ABS Constituency Office in Ilorin yesterday were operators of cool spots in the state who pledged their support for the senate president political leadership.

Comrade Muftau Adeyemo, who spoke on their behalf, said the operators were always ready to support Saraki, because of leadership qualities that distinguished him among his contemporaries.