Nathan Tamarapreye, Yenagoa
The Movement for the Survival of the Izon Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND) says it has concluded plans to create a comprehensive database of skilled and unskilled Niger Delta youths.
According to MOSIEND, the registration for all its members across the Niger Delta region is completely free of charge and is starting on June 5.
MOSIEND in a statement on Tuesday by its National Secretary, Amb. Amain Cotterel, noted that the registration is for Project Hope being undertaken by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
According to MOSIEND, the online registration in the NDDC portal is not meant for only Ijaw youths, but youths of all ethnic nationalities from the nine Niger Delta states
MOSIEND explained that the exercise is open to Igbo, Isoko, Urhobo, Itsekiri, Ikwerre, Efik and all ethnic groups and that MOSIEND is willing to register all of them as long as they are from the region.
MOSIEND said the registration will first be held in Rivers, the Eastern Zone of Ijaw nation, before being taken to Delta and Bayelsa. The registration exercise is expected to last one week for each zone.
Cotterel said the registration centre for Eastern Zone is the National Secretariat at Suite 8 at N o. 55 Iwofe Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers.
The statement indicates that the exercise opens at 10 am daily, and urges all MOSIEND members to contact their zonal executives to get more information about the process.
According to MOSIEND, all youths of the Niger Delta interested in the exercise are expected to come with their credentials and every other information about themselves.
Cotterel said MOSIEND saw the need to do the free registration for Niger Delta youths after a stakeholder meeting with the management of NDDC on May 7.
According to him, the meeting was attended by Niger Delta regional stakeholders led by the National Chairman of Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Senator Emmanuel Ibok-Essien.
Cotterel stated that MOSIEND, the most widespread grassroots group with the largest number of youths in the region, is solidly behind the Project HOPE agenda of the commission.
He explained that making the youths get their skills data captured in the NDDC database free of charge is the least support MOSIEND can give to the NDDC which, he said, is doing a good job.
Cotterel said: “MOSIEND is doing this advocacy and free registration of Niger Delta youths to support the management team in achieving the goals or aims and objectives of Project HOPE.”
On NDDC’s Project Hope, MOSIEND National Secretary said, “The NDDC’s Project Hope is designed to capture data of skilled, unskilled and unemployed youths from the Niger Delta region to train and empower them to be independent.
“However, for you to partake in this project and benefit from it, you must register on the NDDC dedicated platform online, and that is why we are doing this campaign so that nobody would be left out.
“We desire all our youths to be productive and self-reliant and this is one way to achieve that.
“MOSIEND is a pan-Niger Delta voice, and we command the largest youth network in the Niger Delta region.
“And we believe that by helping to spread this information and also doing the registration, it will make the work easier for the NDDC, and the fewer unemployed youths we have in the region, the better and safer it will be for us.
“We believe in developing our region’s infrastructure and human capacity, so we have used our funds to make this dream a reality.
“Instead of going to cybercafe to pay money for the service, and to avoid instances of failed registration or incomplete registration, MOSIEND has employed ICT experts to do it for all Niger Delta youths free of charge.
“No matter your political party, ethnicity or religion, as long as you are from the Niger Delta and you come to our registration centres, MOSIEND will register you free.
“Also help to share this information with those around you so that we can help to lift more youths from poverty.”