_By Dr. Godwin Orhadahwe_
The Director General of the Warri, Uvwie and Environs Special Area Development Agency, (WUEDA), Hon. Prince Godwin Ejinyere, has advised Nigerian youths not to take short cuts in life to avoid unpleasant consequences.
Prince Ejinyere gave the advice at a youth mentorship programme and book launch in Effurun, organized by Initiative for Community and Moral Values, (ICMV).
The WUEDA DG, who was represented by the Agency’s Director of Admin and Finance, Mr. Simon Esi, appealed to the teens and youths not to be carried away by what they see others do, especially in the social media. “Learn how to grow and not to jump or climb in life, so that you don’t fall. Life is stage by stage; don’t be on the fast lane”, he cautioned.
Prince Ejinyere enjoined youths from rich families not to allow the wealth of their parents intoxicate them but instead, they should seek and acquire knowledge that would enable them achieve their goals in life.
He charged parents who encouraged their children to go into fraudulent activities in order to get rich quick to desist forthwith, and commended the convener of the programme, Mrs Stella Odita, for mentoring the youths and writing a book on youth mentorship.
Speaking earlier, the Executive Director of Value Rebirth and Empowerment Initiative, VREI, Pastor Edewor Egedegbe who chaired the event, blamed Nigeria’s current development woes on leadership deficiency, occasioned by failure of the family unit to provide quality home education for the children. “Parents should mould the character of their children at home so that they can live better lives in the future”, the Pastor noted.
For his part, the Pastor of Word of Life Bible Church, Ugbolokposo, Effurun, Victor Urhioke, described Mrs. Stella Odita as an asset to all calibre of persons, and called for support for her vision.
Others in their goodwill messages thanked Mrs. Odita for the initiative, assuring her of their partnerships with her. NGOs were also urged to organize seminars for parents on how best to grow their children into responsible adults.
In her lecture entitled “The Power of Education,” the guest speaker, Dr. Rechel Atomatofa, stated that education had the power to place one high in life.
Dr. Atomatofa, who is the Head of Integrated Science Department, Delta State College of Education, Mosogar, quoted some scholars like Plato, Kofi Annan, and Nelson Mandela, saying that “education is not the preparation for life but life itself; education is power and what one does with it; education is the passport to the future; education is the most powerful weapon with which one can change the world”.
According to Dr. Atomatofa, “education has a transformative power; education is not a scam but a real might; an educated person is one who applies knowledge gained to everyday life; as education has power to open doors for achievements, so also ignorance has the power to limit one from externalizing one’s potentials”.
She said education technology helped to revolutionize health care delivery system, and communication; moved farming from subsistence to mechanized towards increased food production. She asserted that in the nearest future robots might take over the place of teachers.
According to the academic, excessive reliance on modern technology had become a very big problem to Nigerian youths, stressing that addiction to smart phones and the Internet had reduced quality face-to-face interactions among family members. “If science comes with problems, efforts should be made to manage information, so that education can remain the positive force for growth and development”, Dr. Atomatofa posited.
The highlight of the event was the unveiling of the book, “Living an Outstanding Youthful Life: Valuable Insights for Young People” written by Mrs. Stella Odita.
The book reviewer, Hananel Beniku-Ejebe of Shamar High School said the book met the challenges of the 21st century youths. “It is more than a book because it is a practical step-by-step guide to successful living. If we can put the instructions in the book into practice, the nation will change; it will help to mitigate moral decadence among our youths of today”, he opined.
The event climaxed with the presentation of awards to some deserving participants in the ICMV training programme to boost their morale, and also to encourage them to perform better as good examples for others to emulate.
SOURCE: Media Dept; WUEDA
Nwoko’s Influence and Public Recognition Stand Him Out As The Most...