A philanthropist, Mr Emmanuel Gbógì has secured jobs for 20 youths from his Oka-Akoko South West Constituency 1, Ondo State at a company, YUCATECO ARENA in Lagos.
The youths who resumed work on the 11th of February, 2022 were those who responded to his widely advertised employment opportunity in furtherance of his determination to make the youths relevant to themselves and the society.
Among them are secondary school leavers, Ordinary National Diploma Certificate holders and graduates who are beneficiaries of the batch A of Emmanuel Gbogi’s employment programme.
They are: Alomoja Joseph Blessing, Abiodun Stephen, Ajakaye Odunayo, Olowu Johnson Adesina, Adedotun Michael, Daodu Micheal, Jogbodo Folorunsho Peter, Apata Folashade, Balogun Alex.
Odunayo Babatunde Friday, Michael Eniola Oriyomi , Lawal Busola Jumoke, Gbadebo Olayinka, Ilesanmi Fayoke, Abe Niyi Ojo, Dogbojaye Rotimi Rufus, Alimi Najimu, Owagbemi Seun, Mr femi and Adeola kolade Adebowale.
Received by management of the Company on arrival, they were taken on a familiarization tour of the facility after a short interview and other engagements aimed at exposing the new workers to the company’s operations as the beneficiaries will work according to the certificate they possess.
Mr Gbogi said the gesture is informed by his strong desire to liberate his people from poverty and to give them decent means of livelihood that will translate to living a better life.
“What we are doing for them is to enable them feed themselves and to gainfully engage them and to move them away from criminalities because an idle hand is the devil’s workshop”, he said.
Mr Gbógì explained that the gesture is to empower them and teach them how to fish with a belief that the move will be a stepping stone for their economic and social emancipation.
According to him: “Some of them finish secondary school but there is no money to proceed further. We cannot continue to rely on government for everything. So we feel we have to contribute our own quota by getting jobs for them, because when they have jobs, they will be occupied and when they are occupied, they will have a vision through which they will be successful in life.”
The ex-US soldier said the gainful engagement will prevent the beneficiaries from becoming tools for politicians especially at this time that the clock is ticking towards the 2023 general elections.
“Rather than allowing people use them as political thugs, I decided to press my buttons, use my connection to move them out of that environment to where they can work and make money for themselves and build their own life”, Gbógì said.
Mr Gbogi who is aspiring for the Akoko South west constituency 1 seat in the Ondo State House of Assembly in the 2023 legislative election however cautioned those discrediting his offer as a potlical propaganda to desist.
He said those behind that are doing so in their attempt to continue to use youths in the community as political thugs.
He said: “It is rather unfortunate that while I’m using my resources to build youths, we still have some people who do not see anything good in what I am doing; some people are being sponsored to rubbish the sincerest gesture.”
He therefore advised youths in the Consituency to key into the second batch of the programme and to disregard those who want to continue to use them for their own selfish potlical growth.
Gbógì has since been touching lives in the community through his ‘Gbógì Emmanuel Foundation’.