Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina state Thursday called on wealthy individuals in the country to give maximum support to orphans, youth, women, and physically challenged persons to make them self-reliant and productive.
Masari made the call at the launch of the Aminu Masari Youth Empowerment Foundation and the distribution of 200 wheel chairs to physically challenged persons across the 34 Local government areas of the state.
At the event which was held in Katsina, the governor remarked that “as the journey towards 2023 is getting closer, I choose to make my retirement from public office memorable and that is why I choose to make the journey simple and humble by identifying with the needs and aspirations of the youth and the less privileged in our society. That is what the foundation is all about.
“Being the most energetic and active segment of the society, the youth have a great role in shaping the future of any nation, especially at this critical moment of our history as a nation.
“The kind of youth groomed in any society has a direct relation with the opportunities provided to them by the privileged few as a way of giving back to the society.
“This is my vision for setting up the Aminu Masari Youth Empowerment Foundation as my humble contribution towards directing our youth from dependency to productive and formidable people with hope for a better future.”
He stated further that the foundation will serve as a medium to provide support to the youth in areas of empowerment through skill acquisition to reduce redundancy, medical outreach for the less privileged and mentorship opportunities through trainings in various businesses and crafts.
In his speech, the chairman Board of Trustees (BOT) of the foundation, Alhaji Kabir Mashi, said the foundation will obtain a database of youth and less privileged persons in the state with a view to supporting them with trainings and business kits to become self-reliant.
He said as part of its objectives, the foundation will also provide free medical outreach across the state and organise regular mentorship trainings and empowerment programs for youth in all parts of the state.
Some of the physically challenged persons that received the customised wheelchairs thanked Governor Masari for launching the foundation and appealed to other wealthy individuals to also support them to make their lives meaningful.
