Cross River Government To Train 2,000 Youths In ICT, As Governor Otu Receives Grand Patron Award

By Sylvia Akpan, Government House Correspondent

The Executive Governor of Cross River State, Senator Bassey Otu says his government will train two (2,000) thousand youths in the State in Information Communication Technology (ICT).

He said this while receiving the Grand Patron award presented to him by the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Cross River State chapter led by the Chairman – Comrade Dan Obo on Monday 25th September 2023 in Calabar.

“The youths represent the greatest segment of government. If you don’t build and mentor the youths, there is no future. As a government, we cannot rise without your maximum cooperation. We will support the youths in all sectors and frontiers. We are starting by training over 2, 000 youths in ICT. We will continue to work with the youths to develop the State.’

Governor Otu charged youths to be intentional with social media usage as it would help bring a positive narrative about the State.

He noted that social media is a powerful tool in information dissemination but is also now a channel for misinformation, rumor-mongering, and fake news by young users.

He averred that: “The usage of social media in information dissemination helps people stay connected and share ideas, thoughts, and opinions with others in a safe and secure environment. Unfortunately, misinformation, disinformation, and fake news are common challenges confronting us through the platform,” he said.

He admonished: “The youths, a primary arm of society, are the driving force on social media, and we have witnessed how misinformation from this sector has caused various problems in society.

“As a government, we are concerned about reshaping the usage of this platform for the benefit of the government and to foster productive development. I charge you to use social media to promote useful information aimed at developing society and supporting the government.”

Speaking earlier, the State chapter Chairman of NYCN Dan Obo, commended Governor Otu on his development stride and for giving a significant number of youths opportunity in his administration.

“We are here to celebrate you, we are excited with the way the State is running and want to thank you for the engagements of youths in your cabinet. We are confident of the successes that await Cross River State in the coming days under your leadership.