A Non Governmental organisation in Akwa Ibom State chayil foundation over the weekend held a one day youth empowerment/leadership seminar with the Theme “Nation Building” for youths in Akwa Ibom State at Belano Hotel Eket Akwa Ibom State.
The seminar designed to impact entrepreneurship knowledge and extra ordinary leadership skills on the youths to reposition them to join in the crusade for a better and greater Nigeria was organised by the founder and president of chayil foundation, Hon. Barr. Bassey Etienam.
Barr. Etienam, a member representing Urueffong/Oruko state constituency in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly and chairman House Committee on petroleum described chayil as Hebrew word which signifies strength, Army, Prosperity and wealth.
He opined that chayil stands for compassion, health-care, agriculture, youth empowerment, investment in the kingdom and leadership training.
Etienam urged the youths to stop thinking of what Nigeria would offer them but to think on what contributions they can make to move Nigeria forward.
According to him “we should make giving our habit, we must begin to create leaders, we have only Nigeria and must develop our country, we must believe in our country because it belongs to us all of us” the Chayil president further said “leadership is in character and integrity not in the position you occupy but in yourself” stressing that the raging corruption in the country today is not just a leadership problem but an off shot of societal decay.
He told the audience that Akwa Ibom State have Heroes and legends who through sheer hard work, commitment and dedication to their chosen carreer excelled. “I took my time to go into records of our great achievers and discovered that for instance late Brig. Gen Udoakaha Esuense became a military Governor at 31 years, my late father who was celebrated started business at 29 years and became a multi-millionaire at 32 years. There was a man in uyo, who is still alive today, Trufaith Gas, He lives at barracks road uyo, he completed his palatial home at the age 24 and at 26 years, he brought white men to work for him in the state then in his well known royal ice cream company”
Speaking on the evolution of Nigeria’s independent and gladiators whose relentless struggle and sacrifice helped the Nation severed the chord of colonialism.
Etinam further said he read through their records and the lives of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obefemi Awolowo and Ahmadu Bello etc.
“Our dear patriots did that when most of them were in their early thirties. General Yakubu Gowon was the head of state of Nigeria at 27 years, clement Isong at 46 became the governor of central bank of Nigeria. Late Justice Udo Udoma became the chief justice of Uganda at 45 years. That is why we put together this programme to instil discipline patriotism and zeal for selfless service for our dear country
Before setting the ball rolling, Nationally acclaimed motivational speaker Mr. Fela Durotoye president Gemstone group told the over 5000 youths gathered for the seminar, “I am happy to announce that my past has nothing to do with where I am today, I have made a clean shave from my past and it has nothing to do with who I am today your past has no right to undermine your future your past has no right to determine how far you can go in life”.
Mr. Durutoye said “while your future is guaranteed with God, it is not guaranteed with time” stressing that their way of life, the company they keep and the way they reason are some of the factors that will determine how far they will go in life. Quoting the biblical verse in which God had professed his love for mankind and guaranteed them an expected end “he noted that the expected end can only be realistic when men have compassion to serve especially a good mentor.
According to him “when you serve two things will happen you may learn or you will fail but in your failure never relent, strive to achieve your goals, secondly believe in yourself, it is not who you are that is your problem it is what you think you are not. If you say am not good, am not going to make it, I don’t have this, I don’t have that, it will retard you but remove your mind from the things you don’t have to those things you have which could be a smile, an idea and believe me you will soon be at the top dining and winning with the kings”
Mr. Fela Durutoye who started with a topic on loyalty berated people who use every occasion to voice out their loyalty to people especially their superiors stressing that since loyalty could not be measured by how many times one say them, practicising them would be a better option.
According to him “if you are loyal, you must have been performing your assigned duties in your office in such a way that the office cannot afford to loose your services, if there is promotion you will be promoted, if they plan to sack, you will be untouched and the firm will have to see your services as very relevant and invaluable”.
Speaking on the once robust Nigerian economy, Mr. Fela Durutonye recalled that in the early seventies United States one dollars exchange for a little below one naira while the higher institutions in the country such as university of Ibadan, Ife and university of Nigeria at Nsukka were at per with any higher institution in the world.
He however regretted that today the country naira is trailing behind the us Dollar at an alarming rate while the fortunes of the first generation university had nose-divided at un imaginary level.
Speaking on the topic purpose, Mr. Fela Durutoye told the youths that every man created by God has a purpose for his existence, According to him, “when a purpose of man or a thing is not known. Abuse is inevitable” Abuse is made up of two words, which is abnormally and use. If you have something and you use it in an abnormal way that is abuse’.
Fela said that for everything created there is a purpose for his creation and only his creator can determine this purpose just like manufacturers of items determines their functions.
“Every human being was created to be an agent of change, when God created man the first time he said was be fruitful while the second thing he said was replenish the earth”.
Citing the biblical Garden of Eden, Mr. Durutoye said God created man and keep him in the Garden of Eden to care for and maintain the garden stressing that each and everybody born in Nigerian was God’s purpose for the person to keep Nigeria, work and maintain and ensure the success of Nigeria.
“If you dress Nigeria, Nigeria will dress you, if you keep Nigeria Safe, your future is guaranteed.” But when man fails the law of the Garden, the Garden undress the man, that is why when man failed and God visited him, he told God that he is hiding because he is naked and God did not ask him if the serpent visited him or the woman deceived him, he asked him did you eat from the fruit I forbid you to eat from the garden meaning that he undress the garden and the garden undress him.
Fela told the audience that if they take care of Nigeria, Nigeria will care for them. He noted that it’s time for people to change their perception about Nigeria and believe in the country for their own sake.
He observed that outside death, change is the most feared word in the country but maintained that change is the gap between where you are now and where you want to be.
He highlighted that for those who want their status improved and records greater goals in life, change remains the vehicle that will effect it, stressing that the United States of America has black president today owing to the power of change.
“Obama campaign centres on change and change simply means what I have to do to get what I need to get”.
Fela opined that improvement is different from transformation because while the earlier enhances the ecstatic beauty of a thing, transformation effect serious fundamental difference from what the thing used to be.
He noted that Nigeria needs transformation not just improvement in various sectors of its economy.
Fela asked the crowd of youths “in the Health care system, power and energy sector including our police force, do Nigeria need improvement or transformation and they all chorused transformation.
And he asked again “Generally do we say that Nigeria needs improvement or transformation” and the crowd thundered again “Transformation”
Fela said Nigerians must work to see the fulfillment of their dream Nigeria where everything is functioning optimally.
He advised Nigerians to stop speaking negative or ill words about the country especially when faced with problems and challenges in their daily activities
Rather he advised them to assimilate the country into their sub consciousness, talk and speak well about the country at all things
Mr. Fela Durutoye said to transform Nigeria, we must think positively with great determination to move the nation forward.
while making references to other developed countries such as Dubai, malaysia and Singapore he noted that though these countries do not have the kind of natural and economy resources Nigeria have but they are developed because of the sheer commitment and total faith citizens of the Nations have in their ability to move their nation towards development and self sufficiency.
In his good will message at the event, the chairman Akwa Ibom State council of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Elder Patrick Albert while commending the organisers of the youth empowerment/leadership seminar called on political leaders in the state to take a cue from the founder/president of Chayil. Barr. Bassey Etienam and lift the fortunes of the youths through inspirational and life changing seminars.
Elder Patrick Albert noted that those youths who imbibed the message of the seminars will blossom in no time into great personalities stressing that the messages delivered at the workshop is much more than any material gift.
He appealed to the Akwa Ibom state government to direct her searchlight on such seminars for her teeming youths in order to unlock their potentials to achieve their various destined goals in life.
The Nuj Boss expressed the union’s readiness to partner Chayil foundation to keep the seminar on adding that Akwa Ibom Youths need intellectual empowerment in order to tap in to the vast potential which abounds in the society.
Highpoint of the occasion was the presentation of award of the most friendly students legislator to Bassey Etienam by NANS and SUG Akwa Ibom State University and the presentation of a book titled 17 Secrets of High Flying Students authored by Fela Durutoye to the over 5,000 participants as a take home gift by the president of Chayil Foundation Barr. Bassey Etienam.
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