Youths of Igbomina in Kwara State, under the aegis of Igbomina Youth Assembly (IYA) have expressed their readiness to work with governments and groups to help tame growing unemployment rate among its members.

In a communiqué issued at the end of its one-day summit at Igbomina House, Ganmo,  the group also expressed concern over the issuance of certificate of state of origin by local governments in Igbomina  to people they claimed were non-Igbominas and asked for the concerned authorities to find timely solution to the development.

The communiqué, which was signed by the National President of the Assembly, Mr. Shuaeeb Oyewole, and the Secretary, Prince Samson Olawepo, lamented that the Igbomina land, a prominent sub-ethnic group in Kwara State, covering three local government areas; Irepodun, Isin and Ifelodun is faced with social and economic challenges, adding that majority of its political class were divided and self-centred.

The nine-point communiqué also raised a call to all potential candidates in forthcoming elections in the area to ensure they were home dwellers and not people engaged in ‘politicking by correspondence’, while it called for transparent leadership among the people of the land.

The group also called for a negotiation of  power in the political opportunities available in the state noting that there was urgent need to bring more sense of responsibilities and fatherhood to the traditional leadership in the area.

Speaking at the opening of the summit, Shuaib Oyewole,  explained that while the group was neither political nor religious, it would retain its identity as a social and cultural organisation of the Igbomina youths fully prepared to guide the welfare of its people.

“One of the major problems the Assembly is facing is the issue of employment generation of Igbomina youths,” he said, adding; “therefore, we are ready to partner with whoever is in position to make our dream realised.”

Oyewole said IYA was established to serve as a power base for the mobilisation of Igbomina youths for full awareness and effective participation in programmes and projects in the area and would also work to encourage the use of the Igbomina dialect and its culture among the people.

In his keynote address at the summit, an Igbomina leader, Professor S.A Ibiyemi advocated the establishment of a committee that would be guided by a framework of principles which shall include a true, sustainable and genuinely respected leadership that shall be provided by members of the committee.

The committee, according to Ibiyemi, must secure the recognition of both the youth and the political class of Igbomina land and the youths shall ensure that there shall be no splinter group that would constitute an opposition to the committee.

In response to the issuance of citizenship certificates to non-Igbominas, the Olupo of Ajaseipo, Oba Sikiru Woleola, promised to work in conjunction with other obas in the area to check the menace.

He urged the youths to shun all acts of violence and stay focussed for the development of the land.

He commended the effort of IYA and prayed for love, unity and remarkable development for the land.