Akeredolu Extols Virtues of Ooni at 44

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo.

The Governor of Ondo State, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu has lauded the leadership qualities of His Imperial Majesty, Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, on his 44th birthday.

Speaking yesterday at the campus of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, at this year’s edition of annual Ooni Ogunwusi International Leadership Symposium, Akeredolu said: “Though Kabiesi didnt tell me when we met yesterday that he would be celebrating his birthday today. You have dignified the throne of Oduduwa with your actions since ascending the throne.

“Yoruba race is proud of you. You have carried this office with dignity. All of us are proud of you,” Akeredolu said.

In his speech, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi said, he used the period of his birthday celebrations to bring together the future leaders of the country so they would have hope despite the situation of hopelessness which abounds.

“The future of our youths is bright. I implore our youths to henceforth start aspiring for higher offices from councillorship, Local Government Chairmen; House of Assembly; and Governor.

“If we, the present crops of leader refused to let the youth start participating in governance now, we are doomed (may God forbid) but the art of governance should start now for our future leader.

“We should learn how to relinquish power to them and take the back seat by mentoring them, guide them to achieve the best.

“Our youths are dynamic, resilient, intellectually sound, physically upright to take leadership position to move our country forward,” he explained.

In his lecture, the Director General of Institute for National Transformation (INT), Abuja, Prof. Vincent Anigbogu noted that development of Nigeria’s human capacity development is the major means Nigeria can survive and create wealth that will take care of the needs of her people.

Speaking on the theme for this year’s event, “Ensuring Nigeria’s Present and Future Prosperity: The Need for Purposeful Human Capital Development”, Anigbogu said “knowledge and skills have become the global currency of 21st economies, but there is no central bank that prints this currency.

According. to him “Every (nation) has to decide on their own how much they will print. Sure, it’s great to have oil, gas, diamonds and all the mineral deposits in the world; they can buy jobs, but they ‘ll weaken your society in the long run unless they ‘re used to build schools and a culture of lifelong learning.”

Hé added that Nigeria’s population has been projected to reach 350 million by year 2050, adding that no fewer than189 million people would be added to the current population of the country between 2018 and 2050.

He also noted that for the country to survive the population explosion, Anibogu said the nation’s economic growth must outpace population growth.

He then called on government at all tiers to ensure that Nigeria’s present and future prosperity is secured by using natural resources of the country as catalysts for p purposeful human capital development.