By JAMES KILA
EASTERN Highlands deputy governor and Obura-Wonenara MP John Boito has called on unemployed youths in the province to get their hands dirty in order to earn an income to sustain their lives.
Mr Boito made the remarks during the launching of the Misafa stock feed in Bena last week.
He said most youths in rural districts nowadays were doing nothing and were roaming around in towns expecting relatives and wantoks to give them money.
Some of these youths turn to robbing in order to make money to support themselves, which he described as “a syndrome of laziness”.
“Lawlessness, drugs and expecting free hand-outs will not solve your problems. You must sweat and have a vision for your life if you want to be successful,” Mr Boito said
He urged youths, who have land, to make good use of it by planting coffee and other agricultural produce to sell and earn money.
He said Eastern Highlands was blessed with a lot of fertile land which yet they were not being utilized by people.
He encouraged youths to go into coffee business because coffee was an exportable produce which fetched good income.
Citing his own example, Mr Boito said after discontinuing his education because of school fee problem, he had returned home and farmed coffee and later became a businessman.
“I only completed Grade 8 due to school fee problem.
“That did not discourage me from going into coffee business,” he said.
The deputy governor said he had sweated to sustain his living.
He later became a businessman and eventually entered politics.