A Niger Delta sociocultural group, the Wakirike (Okirika) National Congress of Ogoloma, Okrika in Rivers State, has called on the Nigerian Army to vacate the community’s Skills Acquisition Centre for Youth and National Development without further delay.
In a statement made available to journalists in Warri today, the group expressed concern that the Army’s occupation of the facility for over a decade has worsened youth unemployment, one of the region’s most pressing challenges, driving poverty and insecurity.
“The Army’s continued trespassing on the facility weakens local and national productivity, especially in a harsh economic climate marked by stagnation, high inflation, and rising joblessness,” the statement partly said.
The WNC, through its Chairman of Incorporated Trustees, Mr David Solomon, urged the Nigerian Army to allow the centre to serve its intended purpose, emphasising its critical role in youth empowerment and national development.
According to the group, the centre was established during the administration of former Governor Rotimi Amaechi to equip young men and women with transferable skills for entrepreneurship and job creation.
“This centre was not a gift; it was the result of sustained advocacy and political will. Its continued use as a military facility denies thousands of youths access to vocational training and opportunities to contribute meaningfully to the economy,” the statement added.
The WNC further demanded that, if the Army does not vacate, either the Federal Government or the Rivers State Government should immediately construct a new Skills Acquisition Centre for the Wakirike Ijaw people.
“This is not merely a Wakirike problem; it is a national economic setback. By denying our youths access to vocational training, the takeover exacerbates unemployment, undermines entrepreneurship, and increases vulnerability to crime”, the group stated.
Efforts to obtain a response from the Nigerian Army were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.
