Alhaji Abdulrasaq Agba-Oja, a leader from community made the advocacy in Ilorin at the presentation of a motorcycle to empower a member of the community, Samsudeen Mustapha by the Ilorin Emirate Youth Development Association (IEYDA).

Agba-Oja applauded the efforts of the IEYDA at uplifting the city of Ilorin through its various programmes.

He noted that Erubu-Asunnara community association was also a youth association, formed to uplift the immediate community, which formed part of Ilorin Emirate.

He explained that the community association had also within a short period of time of its existence embarked on many developmental programmes for its members.

The former council lawmaker explained that the association provided sponsorship for candidates, who wished to write 2017 JAMB exams as well as apprenticeship for many residents of the area.

According to him, the community organises coaching for all students from the area to assist their academic pursuit.

He stated that the association recently set up a committee to stamp out any form of social vices in the community, blaming societal negligence for youth involvement in social ills.

He, however, sought for a further robust partnership from the Ilorin Emirate Youth Development Association to empower more indigents from the community just as he appreciated their empowerment programmes in the past.

In his address, Mr Babatunde Salaudeen, the President of the Ilorin Emirate Youth Development Association (IEYDA) pledged to partner other community associations for the development of the ancient city.

Salaudeen said that the presentation of the motorcycle was to empower the beneficiary in getting a means of livelihood.

Also speaking, Uthman Jagunma, the Publicity Secretary of the association explained that the association had carried out various empowerment programmes to better the lots of the citizens.

Jagunma asserted that the association had set aside the sum of N650, 000 to obtain Universal Tertiary Matriculation Association (UTME) forms for indigent candidates.

The Publicity Secretary, however, expressed dismay that some of the beneficiaries of their credit facility from the community were default in their payment, urging them to pay up the loan to enable others to access it.

He identified finance as a major challenge that had deterred the association from achieving most of its programmes, calling on the well-meaning individuals to key into the development programme of the association.

The Chief Imam of Erubu, Alhaji Sanni Sulaiman preached against divisive tendencies and politicization among the members of the two associations.

Sulaiman also urged the association to wade into what he described as an injustice against a member of the community, who was recently retrenched from the state Teaching Service Commission.