By V. AL-PEA
The Special Adviser to the executive governor of Plateau State on Youth Development, Kwamkur Samuel Vondip recently praised the government of Jonah Jang for contributions to youth development. In a chat with TMV, Vondip highlighted the achievements and plans for youths in the state. The interview which was edited for clarity started as follows:
TMV: We wish to congratulate you upon your recent appointment as Special Adviser to the executive governor on Youth Development.
VONDIP: Thank you very much.
TMV: Can you please briefly tell us about yourself?
VONDIP: Yes, my full name is Kwamkur Samuel Vondip. I am a lawyer and I was working with a federal institution before my appointment into the government as the Special Adviser to the governor on Youth Development, Plateau State. Well, (chuckles) I am married and I have a kid.
TMV: Can you briefly give us an overview of government’s plans concerning youth development in the state?
VONDIP: Let me first of all start by appreciating the executive governor of Plateau state, Da (Dr) Jonah David Jang. I call him the mentor of youth on the Plateau and the prudent manager of Plateau State’s destiny. I say this because this is a governor who ordinarily you will say is an elder, an old man, but then he is full of zeal with high taste. He also has vision for Plateau State. The challenges he passed through before he became the governor of this state he never gave up and even amidst these challenges he was able to touch the lives of the common citizens of this state. This morning I was reading about some of the achievements of this government and I was amazed myself even though I have been following them. I have never taken time to see them in print, but I have seen them physically. So I will say that the governor is focused and he has good plans for the youths.
TMV: Can you briefly let us into some of those government’s plans on youth development in the state?
VONDIP: Yes, let me start with what has been on ground. Most times people say that the man is only just constructing, and is that empowerment? I have heard youths ask this question. I have heard some critics of this government ask that question, but I will dare to say that the man has laid down good structures for youth development. First of all, the achievements he had in the last four years, particularly, that which has to do with agriculture, commerce, sports, urban development. If you look round, an elderly man like that, if he were a selfish man he need not be constructing roads at his age. He needs not to be building schools. He need not to be struggling to ensure there are structures on ground, modern agricultural systems on ground, but it is because of the future of the state and when you are talking about the youth you are talking about the strength that will carry us to the next generation. So the man has laid down a number of things on ground like the agricultural training centers. I am saying this because in Plateau state we deal with agriculture and you will see that these days youths do not like going to the farm, but now he has brought in a foreign specialist for that matter who will teach us how to go into farming with less stress and still have more yield. He has also gone into commerce. There has been training of youths at different angles. He has also opened up roads where you can freely move to run in your business. You know movement is one of the necessities in development. These are just very few out of so many. Now with the appointment, I will say too that he has further concretized his desire to develop youths. The Ministry for Youths has a structure on the ground, still he went as far as appointing a Special Adviser, somebody who will now be making sure that all the plans concerning youth development come to be. So I think he has lain down very good plans. What we need and what I tell the youths is that let’s have faith. When you did not ask somebody for something and he has given you and he is telling you that he will do it more then you have no fear.
Check back at a later date for our second half of the interview . . .