Peter Ayoade, Ibadan
Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Oyo State and a gubernatorial aspirant in the 2019 general elections, Engineer Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe has described Oyo youths as the greatest assets.
This was contained in his open letter to Oyo State Youths on the occasion of the 2020 International Youth Day.
According to him: “Being a youth comes with many things. It’s that time in life where you have abundant energy; a point in life when you are daring and stage in life when you are creative. Any serious society would harness energy, courage and creativity of the youth to produce innovative solutions to her many problems.”
“In a society such as ours that is wrangling its way out of underdevelopment, the importance of the youth cannot be over-emphasized. Indeed the important roles played by young men and women in the history of our nation are well documented to inspire you. I believe you can do even more, if properly guided and actively mentored.”Tegbe stated.
“As we seek to create a prosperous nation and state where potentials are achieved, any meaningful sustainable development effort must centered around young people as you are not only the future, but our greatest assets of the present times. It is thus important to integrate the youth at every tier of the society, especially in policy formulation, implementation and evaluation. This year’s theme, “Youth Engagement for Global Action” is apt in this regard.”He added.
The Ibadan philanthropist said: “We must create opportunities that develop and empower our young mindsd.” In this regard, he approved the expansion of its Youth Support Fund to do more in the areas of Youth Entrepreneurship and Capacity Building in which he said further details on modalities and qualification criteria will be revealed by officials of the Foundation and as well look forward to doing more for you, and with you.
“As young people, we must learn to take responsibility for your actions and for our society. Your actions and inactions today have far-reaching impact on the future. You must therefore strive to create a future you desire and would be proud to bequeath to your children. This is only possible when you deliberately develop your capacity and play active roles in the society. Opportunities abound for you, waiting to be tapped!” He concluded.
