The Osun Youth Conference and Award 2022 came up Thursday at the Ben Ber Events Centre, Osogbo.
The Conference tagged:’’ Youth Inclusiveness, Leadership, security and Employment’’ was attended by vibrant youths and dignitaries from the nooks and crannies of Osun State and beyond.
While delivering his keynote address, Mr Adedayo Adeniyi, spoke extensively on the importance of the conference and the theme:’’Youth Inclusiveness, security and Leadership’’.
Mr Adedayo brought to the fore the common issue usually raised by the youths about governance and inclusiveness-‘’We are not being carried along or why are the youths not in the saddle of governance? Why are the youths not so much involved in managing the affairs of the government?
In his observations, and to respond to all those vital questions usually asked by the youths, he asked-‘’What is the yardsticks the youths want to apply in their leadership quest? What advocacy is in your heart that the society can be made better?
According to him,’’ youths should get experience and knowledge of what they want to do and be ready to learn the rope’’.
He said ‘’It is not contesting for position alone that matters. Ask yourself why are you a student activist? The goal must be clear and not by climbing on the bandwagon’’
Adedayo said,’’ What we are doing is working on a system that is not working and building on it’’.
‘’Miracles would not just happen, but what you have upstairs’’.
He goes further saying,’’ youths should understand what motivates them. Is it personal aggrandizement or for the general good of the common man’’. ‘’Get back to the seat, to learn’’. Everybody wants to teach without learning,’’ he said.
While fielding questions at the conference by the participants on the deteriorating condition of security in the State and beyond, the Oyegbade Akinloye representing the CO, Osun, Olokode responded that one of the reasons for security lapses was inadequate personnel to perform the onerous task. He said,’’ security, however, should be a joint effort and this extends also to the youths’’.
On the inappropriate illegal taking of bribes at checkpoints on our roads, Oyegbade was able to defend his constituency, that ‘’not all policemen are corrupt or take bribes.’’’ ‘’Out of the lot, there is no way we would not have a rotten egg’’; but the joy is that, once they are caught, they are always punished’’, he said. He sought the cooperation of the participants at the conference and every Nigerian in general to stem corruption and insecurity in the State.
He (Oyegbade) was magnanimous to have given out the Police hotline for anybody who cares to report any anomaly or infringements whatsoever (Complaints Report Police Unit Hotline)-(080570000 08 )
Dignitaries from all works of life and professionals were present to grace the occasion among ho ere: Comrade Ibrahim, National Youth Council of Nigeria Chairman, VPOAU, Olalekan Badmus represented by Hon. Taiwo Adewuyi, Comrade Popoola, Comrade Oyeale Segun(convener of the programme, Mr Adedayo Adeniyi, Keynote Speaker, representative of the Osun state commissioner of Police, CP Olokode, Mr Oyebade Akinloye, the Assistant to the Governor of Osun State on Student Affairs and Social Mobilization, Hon. Kehinde Ayantunji and Adedayo Oderinu, of the FRESH FM’Karakata” programme fame, anchored the Panel session and a host of others.