Ituah Urges Nigerian Youths to Battle for Leadership Space

Sunday Okobi
A Lagos-based cleric, Ituah Ighodalo, has called on Nigerian youths to get involved in leadership of the country “because whatever happens to the government of the country definitely affects their welfare.”

The Senior Pastor-in-charge of Trinity House in Lagos said going by the global influence on leadership, Nigeria as well needs fresh crop of people in leadership position, suggesting that the country should have much younger people with fresh ideas in governance of Nigeria.

 The renowned cleric stated this in Lagos yesterday at a press conference to usher in the sixth anniversary of the church, highlighting that this year’s anniversary celebration is what “we have called the youth entrepreneurship seminar with the theme: ‘Today’s Youth, Tomorrow’s leader’.”

He added: “This is being driven by our Trinity Leadership which is like a business development leadership training school for young people.
“The graduating class of that school has chosen this theme as their graduating assignment. We will do a seminar where we can harness the youths of Nigeria and begin to prepare them for tomorrow.”

Ituah who noted that military incursion in Nigeria governance did not allow the natural evolution and development of youths, stated that: “All over the world the youths are been prepared for the future. Therefore, we want to begin a development initiative where the youths would be trained, mentored and empowered,” adding that by the time the military left the vestiges of power, the old guard who hadn’t had  enough of leadership yet came back again, and there was no succession planning for the young people to take over the mantle of leadership”

He highlighted that “Next Thursday at 9.a.m, we will have a round table discussion where we will be featuring Kate Henshaw, Leke Alder, Fisoyo Okunsanya, Tara Fela-Duroloye, among others at the Trinity House centre, Ligali Ayorinde. On Sunday 9.a.m., we will have our celebration service, where we are hoping that everybody all over the world would come and celebrate with us.
“At Trinity House we have about 14 non-government organisations. We are concerned about the future of Nigerians and welfare of the people. As a church we want to play our part in the national development of the country.”

Ighodalo stated that all over the world, development is rapidly driven by young workforce, “so we intend to be a voice to youth leadership across all spheres of society, instill moral in them, empower them to be creator of jobs and good leaders in order to challenge todays leaders to do the right thing in the right way that will bring about positive change.

 “We also intend to take the church out of church in order to meet the people and their needs as well as commit to a new Nigeria where, according to the bible, as Christians, speak truth to power and achieve leadership with vision.”
The clergyman, who is also a trained accountant, noted that one of the mistakes Christianity made then was to charge youths not to be involved in politics, “because it was bad and dirty. But people don’t realise that it is leadership that drives the economy. Then economy drives welfare and welfare drives the people.

 “This is why members of trinity house and school are working very hard to address that situation. We are not even aware that government is aware of this.
We should have much younger people in governance in Nigeria. We need to change and bring in a fresh crop of people into leadership. The government might not do it. It has to be done by individuals’ foundations and agencies such ours.”