Convener of the Initiative for Better and Brighter Nigeria (IBBN), Prophet (Dr.) Isa El-Buba, has tasked northern elites to change the narrative being portrayed of the North as poverty and insecurity capital of Nigeria.
Prophet El-Buba who accused the elites of nonchalant attitude towards the plight of the downtrodden, said the time has come to change the negative narrative through empowerment of the people in various skills in addition to education, adding that northern elites have the capacity to do this.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony of the skill acquisition programme of 300 people from the Dr. Isa El-Buba Foundation (DISEF) in conjunction with the King Solomon Empowerment Initiative in Jos, Plateau State, the IBBN convener said the concept of the skill acquisition programme was conceived based on the economic hardship in the country, which has further made quite a lot of people, especially the young, idle.
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鈥淭he rate of poverty in Nigeria, especially in the north of the country, has become so endemic in the region that the people of the region have been abandoned. And that is why we took this initiative as part of our contribution to the economic empowerment of the young ones in the northern part of Nigeria.
鈥淣o one gave us a penny towards this venture; we sold some of our property to achieve this as part of our contribution. We train people to be able to train other people, in making some household products, among others.
鈥淵ou never start living until you begin to touch the lives of others, and the truth is that eighty percent of the elites in this country are not living.
Whatever you are doing is a seed for your dependent to harvest. So the elites should learn how to give back to the society.鈥