The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, on Saturday, empowered no fewer than 1,000 fashion designers and charged them to be hardworking in their chosen career.
The Ooni gave the charge during the maiden edition of Ojaja Fashion Training Graduation at his palace in Ile-Ife.
Oba Ogunwusi thanked God for giving him the grace to contribute his own quota to the progress and growth of the beneficiaries who were mostly youths.
He condemned the rate at which crimes were increasing daily in the society, a situation he attributed to lack of jobs.
“Unemployment and lack of helper for the less privileged have led most of our youths to take to prostitution, drug trafficking, kidnapping, internet fraud and the removal of human organs for rituals.
He said: “We need to put all hands on deck to assist the youth academically and in vocational training,” saying government alone could not do it.
The royal father also condemned the rate at which the nation’s population was increasing daily without the provision of commensurate jobs.
He congratulated the parents, guardians and the graduands for the success of the training and appealed to them not to abuse the opportunities given to them.
Also, Samuel Olaoluwa, the Coordinator of the programme, acknowledged God for the grace to coordinate the institute.
He noted that youths from across the country benefited from the training, and urged other philanthropists to emulate the Ooni’s good gestures.
One of the beneficiaries, who spoke on behalf of others, Miss Kehinde Adebiyi, commended the Ooni for transforming their lives through the training and for providing them quality sewing machines.
She promised to utilise the privilege wisely and urged other youths to find something tangible to do.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the beneficiaries had a one-year training in fashion designer before their graduation. (NAN)
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