By Emeka Nwokocha
Youths in Nigeria have been charged to wake up from slumber and take a frontal position in leadership so as to righting the many wrongs bedevilling the Nigerian society.
The Executive Director of Value Rebirth and Empowerment Initiative (VREI), Pastor Edewor Egedegbe, made the call on Thursday 10 December while delivering a lecture, entitled, “Securing Tomorrow By Building The Youth Today,” at Youth Leadership/Media Training, themed, “Youth as Engine of Growth in the Society,” put together by Comr. Austin Ozobo, SA to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, on Political Matters.
Continuing, the guest lecturer, identified dearth of good leadership as the bane of development in Nigerian. He commended Comr. Ozobo for his commitment towards the growth of the state and wellbeing of Deltans. He said, “building leadership capacity in the youths as this seminar is primed to achieve, is a welcome development.”
He spoke eloquently on the role of the youths in making Delta State and Nigeria great through participation in politics and governance. He emphasized potent leadership skills as prerequisite for addressing the multifaceted socio-economic and political challenges dwarfing the growth of Nigeria over the years.
The human capacity development expert, Egedegbe, noted that in other climes government make and implement policies tailored at developing the potentials of the youths and positioning them for the task of leadership, but in Nigeria, the teeming youths are roundly subdued and subjugated by political demagogues, thereby denying them the opportunity of becoming great leaders.
Continuing, Egedegbe tasked the youths to wake up from slumber and make themselves relevant in the leadership circle of the Nigerian democratic system, even as he advised them to stop praising people whose sources of income are questionable.
Egedegbe, outlined the qualities of a good leader and urged the youths to develop their potential through deligent studies and become agents of positive change.
Delivering the 2nd lecture at the seminar, entitled, “News Writing and Online Journalism,” Mr. Ekanpou Enewaredideke, brought his wealth of experience as a prolific writer to play. He identified the role online journalism plays in setting agenda for socio-economic and political development in Nigeria. He enjoined the youths to take advantage of the opportunities the media presents to propagate novel ideas that would drive unfettered growth in Nigeria. He frowned at the use of the online media platforms by some persons to promote disunity and falsehood in the society, stating that proliferation of online journalism by persons who do not have the basic training in journalism is a major challenge to the society.
Ekanpou, identified the synergy between the media and societal development, stating that governments rely strongly on the media to popularise its policies and get the citizens key into its developmental programmes.
Earlier in his welcome address, Comr. Austin Ozobo, said that the leadership training was conceived to build leadership capacity in the youths, noting that the place of the youths in nation building cannot be overemphasized.
Continuing, Ozobo stated that he would relentlessly contribute his quota to foster socioeconomic and political development of Delta State through impactful programmes and activities aimed to educate and equip the teeming youths with the right knowledge and skills to function as progressive leaders.
In his good will message, the Delta State Director at the Conference for the Actualisation of Human Rights (CAHR), Comr. Monday Enudi, commended Comr. Ozobo for his rare passion in the development of the youths and the state. He urged the youths to make good use of the knowledge they would gain at the seminar to better their lots and live up to the task of leadership to be able to cause a drastic and sustainable change to happen in the ailing socio-economic and political system in Delta State and Nigeria.
The Youth Leadership/Media training which was held at Jeomarine, Ogborikoko, Effurun, Dela State, attracted a crowd of Delta youths mostly from Burutu local government area, government functionaries, members of the Civil Society Organisation (CSO), and media practitioners.
