Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has charged the youths in the country not to abandon Nigeria to “those who are messing it up”.
He equally told them that the future is in their hand and urged them to hold with a firm belief that “today is their day as against the famous cliché that youths are the leaders of tomorrow”.
The former president spoke on Saturday in Abeokuta, Ogun State, at an event tagged “OBJ @85 Free Keke Programme,” where 85 tricycles (Keke) were distributed to beneficiaries as part of the activities marking his 85th birthday.
The tricycles were donated through the Youth Development Centre of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) with beneficiaries drawn from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
Obasanjo said despite many challenges confronting Nigeria, there are “opportunities galore” and asked the younger generation to take advantage of them.
He also charged them to brace up and make necessary contributions towards addressing the country’s challenges.
According to him, If the youth leave things to those who are messing it up, and who are saying they are the leaders of tomorrow, they will never have that tomorrow.
He said, “The first thing we want to prove is that there are opportunities galore in this country. Yes, things are not what they should be but you, as youths, individually and collectively, must make up your mind, and make contributions in order to make things the way they should be.
“If you leave things to those who are messing it up for you and who are saying you are the leaders of tomorrow, you will never have that tomorrow. Today is your day.
“Then the third point is; yes, sometimes you may get people who would help you and a times you may not even get who would help you; you must remember God has given you innate ability to be what He wants you to be and if you make up your mind on what you want to be, God will help you and He would provide those people who would help you to reach the sky which should be your limit.”
Obasanjo, however, charged those in charge of the project to monitor the progress of the beneficiaries citing the popular Biblical parable of talent.
He charged the youths that it is not the opportunities that were given to them that matter, but the use they put the opportunities into.
The Chairperson of the Centre, Dr Bisi Kolapo implored the youth to emulate Obasanjo’s passion and commitment in an effort to build the “Nigeria of our dreams.”
Kolapo also warned them against corruption and greed, saying “it would be difficult to fight those menaces if you’re a culprit”.
She harped on courage, fortitude, forthrightness, respectability, knowledge, loyalty, passion and responsibility as some of the virtues expected of the youths in order to move the country forward.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Bashir Alimodu and Asembe Ngumimi, from Borno and Benue states, respectively, commended the Centre for the donation, which they said would enhance the growth and development of their trades.
They also promised to make judicious use of the tricycles, just as they urged other wealthy Nigerians to take a cue from the gesture in order to lift young entrepreneurs across the country.
Credit: Daily Sun