2021 international youth day event: opening address by ogun youth chairman, com. abdul-jabar ayelaagbe.
BEING THE ADDRESS OF OGUN STATE CHAIRMAN, NATIONAL YOUTH COUNCIL OF NIGERIA, COM. ABDUL-JABAR AYELAAGBE AT THE 2021 INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY CELEBRATION AND PAYMENT OF SUBVENTION TO VOLUNTARY YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS IN OGUN STATE HELD AT VALLEY VIEW AUDITORIUM, GOVERNMENT HOUSE, ISALE IGBEHIN, ABEOKUTA, OGUN STATE TODAY WEDNESDAY 18TH AUGUST, 2021.
PROTOCOLS,
It is with great pleasure that I, on behalf of the State youth leadership, welcome all the eminent stakeholders to this twin event; of commemoration of the International Youth Day and payment of subvention to Voluntary Youth Organizations in Ogun State.
2. International Youth Day is set aside to; raise awareness on the need to ensure the engagement and participation of young people towards a better society; raise awareness on the challenges facing the youth population and celebrate young men and women as key players in achieving a better society. The day is to draw attention to a given set of cultural and legal issues surrounding the youth.
3. The theme of this year's celebration, “Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health”, highlights the success of such a global effort that will not be achieved without the meaningful participation of young people. It has been acknowledged that there is a need for inclusive support mechanisms that ensure youth continue to amplify efforts collectively and individually to restore the planet and protect life while integrating biodiversity in the transformation of food systems.
4. As customary to us in Ogun state, the youth leadership across the 20 local governments and major youth organizations have carried out appreciable sensitization programs on the theme of this year's celebration. We’ve also held media sessions in different Radio and television stations to raise awareness on the need for the world to recognize that human and planetary health are two sides of one climate coin and that together they present a critical road for mitigation even as the Global Burden of Disease Study ranked the top causes of global disability and deaths to diet-related and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Simultaneously, as the world looks to curb and reduce climate emissions and protect major freshwater, land, and ocean resources, our food systems are now responsible for an estimated 32% of global emissions—more than those from all land, sea, and air transport combined. Our reputable invited specialists are here to do justice to this. I can only advise that we listen with rapt attention to benefit from reputable scholars.
5. Your Excellency, Distinguished Ladies and gentlemen, the second part of today’s event is the distribution of subvention to voluntary youth organizations in the State. We extend our sincere appreciation to our youth-loving Governor, Prince (Dr.) Dapo Abiodun, MFR for fulfilling this promise. Although, some organizations were not captured in today’s payment. Efforts are ongoing to up the numbers of beneficiaries in subsequent batches. I should also add that we have initiated discussions on resuscitating the local government subventions to branches and affiliate youth organizations at that level, as it used to be, to support worthwhile youth development projects being executed from time to time.
6. Our charge to all affiliate organizations, either today’s beneficiaries or intending beneficiaries, is to up our games. Our youth development programs and activities should be sustained and our reporting needs be improved upon. As I used to say at meetings and functions, we don’t deal with hearsays but documented and reports to assist the State leadership to also make our necessary reports and recommendations.
7. It is important I use this medium to correct the notion of the non-availability of a structured youth system in our State. Such insinuations are erroneous and misleading. The National Youth Policy, which is a product of seamless work of representatives of the federal government, government of 36 states of the federation and FCT with key stakeholders in youth development, solved whatever logjam affecting duplicity of youth structures long ago and placed National Youth Council of Nigeria as the umbrella body and authoritative mouthpiece for all youth groups/organizations in all matters. As the Youth Council is meant to train young people in executive responsibilities, the Nigerian Youth Parliament was also created to train young people in legislative processes and functions. The challenges of the youth constituency, however, is either inadequate knowledge of the constituency structure in our State/ country or the usual propensity of some of our youth and/or youth organizations to subvert the due process which is one of the greatest challenges our country is facing to which young people must as a matter of patriotism offer ourselves to correct those maladies to have a country we can all be proud of.
8. The constituency needs all of us to be better. Young people either in government or with influences in government should use all available opportunities to strengthen the constituency and not otherwise. Those of us outside the government should also use all our God-given potentials to support young people in government. We should know they cannot be perfect as perfection is only to God. We should defend, correct them with wisdom when they are wrong and protect their interest always. When they succeed we succeed and that will change the perceptions that young people do not have what it takes to hold sensitive government positions.
9. The Youth Council is not an individual but Organization based body. All genuine youth groups/Organizations according to National Youth Policy are presumably members of NYCN. The affiliation process of the Council is to certify the genuineness of claims of existence for all necessaries. The process is less cumbersome, organization without real two-third structures across the 20 local governments in the state will be recommended to start from the local level and be promoted to the state when it is ripe.
10. Your Excellency, Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, This address will be incomplete without an excellent appreciation to His Excellency, our youth-loving Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, MFR for prioritizing the plight of Ogun youth and for making our voice and input count in government and administration of the state. We must also appreciate His Excellency for always appreciating and projecting the patriotic spirit of the youth of Ogun State. We thank him and pray God continues to strengthen him. We also appreciate our energetic Commissioner of Youth and Sports, Dr. Oluwadare Kehinde. We thank you for your services and are proud of your sterling contributions to youth development. We appreciate the Chairman, House Committee on Youth, Sports and Employment Generation, Hon. Shola Adams; we sincerely appreciate the supports of the Special Adviser to Governor on Youth Empowerment, Mr. Lekan Olude; The Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth and Sports, Com. Olamide Lawal and Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth Empowerment, Com. Biola Odetola. We appreciate most sincerely, our father, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth Sports, Engr. Abiodun Abimbola for your tutelage, guidance, and passion for youth development at all times. Through our quintessential Director of Youth Development, we appreciate all other Directors and Staff of the Department and Ministry at large. Members of the State Executive Council, Head of affiliate Organizations, and local government Coordinators deserve special mention for their sacrifices to come out of their comfort zones to serve the youth of the State. Together, we will achieve a youth constituency we will all be proud of and the history of youth development in the state will record our names in gold.
11. While I urge our youth to continue to imbibe and exhibit the spirit of Omoluabi that our State is known for, I promise on behalf of the State youth leadership that we will continue to serve diligently for the vertical and horizontal development of the youth constituency in particular and our dear State in general.
12. Igbega Ipinle Ogun, Ajumose Gbogbo wa ni
13. Build The Youth! Build The Nation!