BY MOHAMED M. SESAY
During the 2022 Pujehun Youth Summit staged at the Pujehun District Hall in Pujehun Town, the Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Dr. Francis Kai-Kai has on Saturday the 16th April 2022, commended the just concluded Pujehun Youth Summit and also encouraged other District to replicate such praiseworthy summit.
The Minister served as the keynote speaker at the Summit of which he encouraged youths to be at the center of development in order to achieve the needed social transformation for the District
The theme for the summit is “Consultative Roundtable Dialogue Between Chiefdom Youth Councils, Youth Organizations, Youth Groups, Policy Formulators, Traditional Authorities, Development Experts and Opinion Leaders on the Progress and Challenges of the 2020 Pujehun District Youth Council Roadmap”.
In his Keynote address, the Minister of Planning and Economic Development acknowledged all indications highlighted by various Chiefdom Youth Chairmen which has the propensity to expose young people of the district to greater challenges.
He therefore underscored the essence of Pujehun Youth coming together in their timely stock taking drive of what they had achieved as youth, and also discusses what to do next to enable them face the challenges. Dr. Kai-Kai also confessed that the initiative was a commendable venture which could be replicated in other districts.
“This is a very good opportunity for the Pujehun youth, and I am happy you have taken advantage of it and set a good example. This should not only stay in Pujehun because I have a national hat as Minister and together with the Minister of Youth Affairs, we will ensure that this initiative is taken to every part of this country”, said Minister Kai-Kai.
The Minister of Planning and Economic Development also expressed his gratification at the progress the youth of Pujehun are making in the key sectors of President Julius Maada Bio’s New Direction agenda. He added that he recognized the importance of their work, especially in the agricultural sector despite the many challenges they continue to face. He encouraged more women to break the barriers and participate more in the youth council structures at every level of development in the district.
Dr. Kai-Kai concluded by commending the Ministry of Youth Affairs (MoYA), under the leadership of Hon. Mohamed Orman Bangura for their tremendous work in the youth sector in Sierra Leone consistent with the Medium-Term National Development Plan (2019-2023).
The Chief Whip of Parliament representing constituency 100 in Pujehun District Hon. Dixon Rogers, appreciated the youth for the thought of coming together to shape their future.
He intimated that such move was the best way to ensure development was sustainable in the district and country as a whole. Hon Rogers called on the youth to respect stakeholders and for stakeholders in turn to support the youth in ensuring the development of the district.
The Host Paramount Chief of the summit Ibrahim Andrew Jaiah Kai-Kai, thanked the youth for organizing such an event that brought together members of chiefdom youth councils in and outside the district. He also expressed delight to stakeholders especially those in governance for supporting youth to engage and chart the way forward for the road map to develop the district. He assured the youth of his indefatigable support at every stage of the process.
The Pujehun District Youth Council Chairman, Brima Fullah assured stakeholders and participants that the consultative dialogue would also be a platform to tap, capture and establish a coordinated network and data base of the various potentials in youth across the district and to also chart a pathway for peaceful and cohesive socio-economic development of the chiefdoms in the district.
The essence of the consultative dialogue session organized by the District Youth Council in Pujehun is aimed at providing a stock-taking review platform that would re-activate their understanding on the strides taken so far in addressing the critical socio-economic challenges faced by youth. The summit brought together 14 chiefdoms in the district to engage themselves and other stakeholders on the theme: “The Progress and Challenges of the 2020 Pujehun District Youth Council Roadmap”. The occasion was climaxed with an official handing over of ten (10) motor bikes from the MOYA with support from UNDP.
