‘Engage youths to curb security challenges’

Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, on Saturday advised that youths should be engaged to help curb the security challenges in the country.

He spoke in Abuja at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), The Everlasting Arms Parish (TEAP), Teen Career Conference with the theme: “Nurturing your talent, developing your character.”

Fayemi said: “we must get the youths busy. The young ones that are here now are not going to be involved in any criminal enterprise. We have a duty as leaders to nurture aright.

“We must also provide avenue for youths to unleash that youthful energy positively because it is there, you cannot run away from it, rather than enable them to resort to criminal activities that will not really elevate their personalities. I think that is what the church and our spiritual institutions have been good at. But we need to take it beyond that to societal institutions to play their own role in character building, in learning, in nurturing their talent, in ensuring that they become leaders of today, because the future is right here with us,” he said.

The governor urged youths to always be hard working and learn to avoid gratification no matter the situation. “Define what yours values are. Learn to delay gratification. Change will not come if you wait for some other time.”

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A popular comedian and media personality, Dr. Helen Paul, also advised youths at the conference to be focused in life and shun bad friends.

She said: “learn to control your emotions. Shun bad friends; do not allow inferior complex to take over you. Always say great things to yourself. You must keep learning on whatever you are doing to achieve more positive result. Do not allow people talk down on you. Do not allow circumstance to change you.”

The chairman of Thisday Newspapers editorial board, Olusegun Adeniyi, said the essence of the conference is to teach the teenagers to take responsibility for their future, have their imagination fired through interaction with accomplished professionals in the society, make them realise that no matter the odds, they can reach their goals and get them to understand that God still intervenes in the affairs of men.

Adeniyi, who is the head of the teen’s church, said: “I try to inspire as many as I can. It is like a calling to me. I started this idea about bringing successful people in the society who can talk to them and tell them stories about their own lives. We are very particular about the people we bring. We started four years ago. The key issue for us this year is character development. We registered 780 youths,” he said.