- Today’s leaders once passed through this phase marked by fancy
- Most of you were youth at the height of the Cold War.”
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Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo says adults and societal leaders owe it to the youth to provide truthful, transparent, transformational, and selfless leadership.
Eko Hot Blog reports that Obasanjo delivered his position on Saturday in Abeokuta at the grand reunion and maiden lecture series of the Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS), United Kingdom Alumni Association, Nigerian chapter.
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The former president, who is the association’s grand patron, delivered a lecture titled, “The Challenges of Youth in a Fractured World.” He was represented by the Deputy Director, Olusegun Obasanjo Leadership Institute, Prof. Samuel Daramola, who defined youth as a period between childhood and adulthood marked by vitality, idealism, hope, expectation, dreams, and a touch of adventure and naivety.
Obasanjo observed that today’s leaders once passed through this phase marked by fancy, energy, beauty and fantasy, but now the youth face numerous challenges in a fractured world.
He recalled an earlier era: “Some of us were youth immediately after the second world war; I was. Most of you were youth at the height of the Cold War.”
He noted that the world then “was not perfect but there was some order, respect for international law, rules and regulations.” The former President emphasized: “There were threats but no impunity.
He further explained that they talked of balance of terror in those days with reasonable stability, predictability, peace and common security with shared responsibility and prosperity among the leading nations of the world.”
He stressed that the developing nations “could breath reasonably freely,” but added: “Today, the youth face herculean challenges which they must not be left to handle alone.”
Obasanjo called on leaders to prioritise the future by investing in it, rather than depleting resources meant for generations to come. He stressed that the youth must be incorporated into all aspects of the family, private and public lives.
He made a definitive statement on youth relevance: “Youth are not leaders of tomorrow, they are leaders today. Let them be part and parcel of leadership today in preparation for tomorrow,” and encouraged youths to develop a tough and resilient character, which he deems essential for self-reliance and breakthrough in a fractured world.
Earlier, the President of the Association, Maj.-Gen. Oluwaseun Oshinowo (Rtd) explained that the association was inaugurated eight years ago, saying that part of this year’s meeting was to discuss critical issues that would move the nation forward.
He added that their main aim is to tell the world “that we are here and we are available for whatever they want us to do when it comes to strategic level discussion and debate,” underscoring the importance of youth to national development.
In his goodwill messages, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama, represented by Mrs Abosede Awolola, said that RCDS occupies a special place in global leadership formation. He confirmed the administration of President Bola Tinubu is “committed to a foreign policy that is citizen-focused, economically driven, and globally respected.”
The Special Guest, Gov. Dapo Abiodun, represented by his Special Adviser on Security, Olusola Subair, said breakdown of family values remained a threat to national development, urging every stakeholders to play their part in reshaping the minds of the youths to more productive ventures.
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