Cheif Sonny Kuku, the Regent of Ijebu Ode, lauds ex-President’s initiative.
Barely a year after promoting a youth centre in Abeokuta, former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo has floated another youth centre in Ijebu-Ode, aimed at getting youths off the streets.
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The Centre, known as Obanta Centre is under the Olusegun Obasanjo Youth Development Centre of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL). It comprises a cinema, a squash court, a lawn tennis court and an entrepreneurial centre..
In a release statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, the former president urged youths in the country to utilise the opportunities available in their communities to develop their innate and God-given talents, fostering self-reliance, poverty reduction, and the socio-economic development of the country.
He mentioned that this marked the third edition of establishing a youth centre in the state.
He said: “We have one in Panseke (Abeokuta), we have one in OOPL, and this one, Obanta Centre, in Ijebu Ode and others are still coming. The commitment is to get the youths off the streets. You can see what it consists of, but I would call it a hospitality, relaxation, and entertainment facility where youths can come to learn and enjoy themselves.
“This is a community centre in a way to have a good and full life. You have to work and relax, recreate and socialise. But if all you do is socialise and you don’t work, then that is too bad. To live a full life, you must work. They say work and play, but I say rest, relax, socialise and recreate,” Obasanjo said.
Earlier, the Director of the OOPL Youth Centre, Bisi Kolapo, revealed that the Obanta Centre features a tennis court and other recreational facilities designed for youths to relax and have fun.“But more importantly, we have an event centre that can be used for celebration,” she added.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the occasion and Ogbeni Oja of Ijebuland, Chief Sonny Kuku — who also serves as the Regent of Ijebu Ode — praised former President Olusegun Obasanjo for his outstanding contributions to the socio-economic development of Ijebuland, particularly in the areas of health, education, and social welfare.
Chief Kuku said that he was marvelled by the health and social welfare inclusion aspect of the centre
