Obasanjo counsels pupils on path to leadership

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday charged Nigerian youths “to do the right thing at the right time” if they want to become good leaders in future.Obasanjo spoke at a youth empowerment programme, organised by the “Centre for Human Security,” one of the arms of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The programme, which was organised in conjunction with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Institute for African Culture and International Understanding and Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers, Nigeria, was attended by over 400 pupils from 16 secondary schools from Lagos, Oyo, Ogun and Osun, among others.

The former president, who spoke to the pupils on “The Obasanjo 20 golden rules for young leaders in the 21st Century,” maintained that for youths to become good leaders in the future, they must have respect for constituted authority and rule of law.

Obasanjo, represented by the Director of the Centre, Prof. Peter Okebukola, further advised the pupils to always set goals that could be achieved. He urged them to be humble .

The former president told the pupils, “Other golden rules that will help you to be good leaders are, always set good examples, for others. Be a good team player, accept your mistakes and learn from it, have respect for time and treat everybody with respect, especially the elders.”

He added, “You must think Nigeria and work for Nigeria’s unity, development and progress and say ‘we’ instead of ‘I’. Show care for public property, always remember to say thank you and please, and have the fear of God and be prayerful.”

Okebukola, who later spoke to the pupils on the topic “From Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” disclosed that Nigeria performed woefully on the MDGs and urged the youths to contribute their own quota in objectives of the SDGs, which would lapse in 2030.

The university don noted that the workshop was aimed at raising a crop of young people that would be responsive to the actualisation of the 17 SDGs.The workshop also witnessed lectures on financial education by resource persons from the Chartered Institute of Brokers, Nigeria, dangers of drugs abuse and abstinence from youth-related health risks, which was handled by Dr. Lekan Makinde.An environmentalist, Dr. Ayo Tella, spoke on ways of sustaining the future through the proper management of the environment.