The Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, has urged the people of Ganawuri to use culture to solidify peace and progress in the state.
Lalong said this Saturday at the Ewuru Dagarang Festival of the Aten people of Ganawuri, Riyom Local Government Area of the state.
The governor, represented by the Secretary to the Government of Plateau State, Prof. Danladi Atu, described culture as the binding force of the people.
The governor revealed that the government was reeling out social and economic empowerment programmes to enable it to take over 20,000 youths out of the streets.
He added that when launched, youths in the community should be mobilised to key into the programmes so that the empowerment would not only be economically viable but socially viable, having noticed the gap between the economic and social empowerment in the country.
Dr Haggai Gutap, in a lecture titled, Cultural Heritage and Economic Revival of the Aten people, emphasised that in order to take the people out of poverty, the government needed to employ the agricultural value chain which, he said, would add value to agricultural produce.
The Chairman of the Aten Development Association, Prof. Clement Chup, said the Ewuru Dagarang Festival was a reminder of the history and culture of the Aten people, deserving special attention.
The Chairman of the occasion, Brig.-Gen. John Temlong, challenged the leadership of the Aten people to ensure that they use their rich resources to the benefit of the people.
DailyTrust
