About 30,000 young people who worked for the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme, also known as “O-YES,” were fired yesterday by Mr Ademola Adeleke, the governor of Osun State. Adeleke has since started a new programme called the “Imole Youth Corps.”

In a letter from the Osun State Government Secretary, Hon. Teslim Igbalaye, who works for the state government, said that the decision to reposition the youth empowerment programme was made so that it works better, lasts longer, and gives workers more respect.

The OYES was started on December 17, 2010, by the former governor, Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, to keep a promise he made to the people.

About 30,000 volunteers in the state’s 31 local government areas, including the Ife East Area Office, were given the tools they needed by the OYES programme.

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In 2019, the state’s former governor, Mr Oyetola, said that the OYES is a great way to leave a legacy and that it should be kept going even though there aren’t enough funds to do so. This is because it has greatly reduced youths’ unrest, poverty, and chances of doing bad things in the state.

He said that a young person who doesn’t have anything to do is a tool for the devil’s vices. He raised the cadets’ allowance from N10,000 to N12,500 and increased the OYES teachers’ corps allowance from N10,000 to N15,000.

According to a statement reporters got from Adeleke, though, interested young people will be able to get free application forms for the new programme starting on Friday, February 17, 2023, in all of the state’s local governments, including the Ife East Area Office.

This was done by the governor a few days after some OYES cadets wrote a letter begging the government to pay their December and January allowances.