EPE News

‘Epe Youngsters Are Not A Liability To Nigeria’ – Oba Ogunsanwo

Published

2 years ago

Jul 27, 2022.

Paul Mbagwu

By Babatunde Kaka

Oba Ogunsanwo has described Epe Youngsters as valuable assets to Nigeria
A facilitator at the event, Niyi Adesanya, described them as dynamites who know their onions

EDITOR’S PICK:

From left, HRM Oba Olusegun Aderemi JP, the Atayero of Aramoko Ekiti, Alara of Ilara, Mr Olaonipekun Kazeem and Professor Okubena LASUDA Director, LASU Epe Campus.

EKO HOT BLOG reports that the Alara of Ilara Kingdom of Epe Division, Oba Dr Olukayode Olufolarin Ogunsanwo, Telade IV, has described Epe Youths as valuable assets to Nigeria.

He said they are not liabilities to the country.

Oba Ogunsanwo made this remark during the ongoing Teenage Career Summer Program in Epe tagged “Being Young Is An Asset.”

Speaking on the significance of the program and why it was important to partner with the organisers, Oba Ogunsanwo said: “This project is about bringing together our teenagers to be able to have proper counselling and inspiration in terms of choosing their career.

“And it is to enculturate them to know the right thing to do. It is evident that some of our youths are involved in social vices, drug abuse, kidnapping and so on but I partnered with the organisers, especially during the holiday period, to be able to let them know that they are an asset to the nation and not a liability.

“This is why we have worked together to bring all our pupils from secondary schools in Epe Division to come and listen to people that have done well for themselves in various fields or their chosen career to be able to let them know that they can also do better and that we can start to breed future leaders for the country,” he said.

The Atayero of Aramoko addressed the teenagers at the event.

While Oba Ogunsanwo reiterated the urgent need to expose youngsters to leadership responsibilities for the future of the country, he spoke further on the sustainability of the project which aims to capture a larger number of youngsters in Epe.

He hinted that the program is one in many series, while also assuring that more, especially vocational training, are in the pipeline for the youngsters of the Epe Division at no cost.

“I want the people of Epe Division to be rest assured that we will continue to attract such programs from time to time to reorient and effect the expected paradigm shift so that they would begin to know that hard work actually pays while laziness, insolence and cultism do not pay.

“It’s just one in the series of the kinds of projects that we want to be embarking upon. Later on, we will introduce vocational training where our valuable youngsters can actually learn other skills apart from the degree they would earn from the university. By so doing, they would have secured another stream of income through bead making, shoe making, Adire making, make-up and so on.

“So, in the next series, we would try and bring our exciting youngsters together again to learn how to produce those crafts and services at no cost and I believe that would help them to chart a proper lead for themselves in life,” he stated.

Mr Niyi Adesanya, a lead presenter at the event.

Speaking in an interview with EKO HOT BLOG, one of the lead facilitators, Mr Niyi Adesanya having held an inspiring and propelling session with the youngsters, described them as dynamites who know their onions.

“I consider it a privilege because those guys in there are dynamite, very brilliant young people and you know that they know where they’re going and they are sure of who they are and I am quite impressed with the gathering of the people here. The way they were answering questions shows that they know a whole lot,” he said.

He said that a program of this magnitude, which gives a little glimpse of hope about the country, should take place often and not once in a while, stressing that the absence of such programs is capable of exposing the youngsters to vulnerabilities across their communities.

Olofin Iseri, Professor Okubena, Mr Olaonipekun Kazeem, Oba Ogunsanwo and Mr Niyi Adesanya in a group picture.

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“When you don’t do programs like this, you leave them in the hands of the people who are churning out their own propaganda and their own programming of the young people day in and day out and then you just have once in a while conference and they are having an everyday conference and so you are already deficient.

“We need to encourage more of this, we need to talk to corporate organisations, it is more of a conference to sponsor than a show to sponsor,” he said.

See pictures from the event: