The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi 111, has observed that youths are often called the potential leaders of the nation,
hence their role in building a sustainable economic development is
essential by integrating them into the national policies and decision
making.
Oba Adeyemi made the observation in his Christmas and New Year message.
‘’They need an active involvement in participating with the current
political and economic leaders to foster inter-generational dialogue
hereby enhancing adequate transitional shift. They should equally be
actively involved in the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) agenda.
This is because they constitute the major resource base for any
country that want to embark on any meaningful development project.
Young people must be trained and as quickly as possible, to provide
leadership in Agriculture, Industry, Government and Economic
Development Projects. They must be developed intellectually, morally,
socially and with relevant skills to face a rapidly advancing
technological world’’.
Nigeria, Oba Adeyemi posited, has a youthful population of close to 70
to 80 million, which is about 55 to 60 per cent of her population,
adding that of this youthful population, more than 80 per cent are
unemployed while about ten per cent are under-employed.
‘’The estimated 10 per cent in employment are burdened and depressed
with near total dependence of relative and family members. Given the
right combination of motivation, knowledge, ideas and opportunities,
Corps members are more than able to establish productive and creative
businesses. Engaging in entrepreneurship will lift you from being “job
seekers” to “job creators,” and also from social dependence to self
sufficiency’’.
With self-employment, the monarch stated that youths can also
contribute to the upkeep of your families. Entrepreneurship in Nigeria
is a major avenue to increasing the rate of economic growth, create
job opportunities, reduce import of manufactured goods and decrease
the trade deficits that result from such imports.
The influx and encouragement of youths into ventures , Alaafin
said,will definitely help salvage our wasting economy.
‘’There is therefore need for both the Federal and State Governments
to place values on education and skills acquisition as the only way
out of present economic doldrums. Youths need to develop an acute
appetite for learning and knowledge without which civillisation
crumbles. Nigerian youths need to hunger for relevant facts and
skills, thereby seeking solutions to the challenges facing us through
enhanced mental capacity. This is the foundation to any true
renaissance’’.
On politics, Oba Adeyemi asserted that unless political parties brace
up and refocus their operational modes, there may not be end to brazen
impunity, monumental corruption, and alarming poverty.
‘’For political parties to live up to their responsibilities and be
reckoned with as responsive, there must certain rules to be enforced
to aid pragmatic governance. Political parties should be able to
organize debates for both the incumbents and new aspirants, in order
to ensure that credible and dedicated candidates who are really
determined to serve the people are given the mandate’’.
‘’With such steps, if adhered to by political parties will prevent
most aspirants who have no clear-cut and result oriented programme of
actions for the people, but only with the ulterior intention of
treasury looting and amass of ill-gotten wealth to the detriment of
the teeming impoverished populace’’.
In the 21st century, the paramount ruler argued that, the country
needs personalities with high cerebral to phantom the much desired
development for the well being of all and sundry.
‘’Common indices of the well-being of the society should include
peace, the existence of rule of law, socio-economic progress and the
safety and comfort of the citizenry. Unfortunately these ideals have
not been achieved in the country until the present dispensation
because of the tendency of those in positions of authority seeking
their personal well-being first and sometimes try to do this at the
expense of the down-trodden people. They place themselves in
advantageous positions by subverting the commonly accepted rules of
conduct and goal attainment’’.
Alaafin however admonished Christians that Christmas and New Year
should be seen as days filled with love, with appreciation of what God
has done for mankind, days of goodwill to one’s neighbours, and days
of divine expectation from the Lord.
This, he stated, would transform the country, heal relationships, and
give every one the polity of our dreams.
Said he, ‘’if we love with the spirit of Christmas in our hearts,
governance would work, electoral reforms would be easier to
accomplish, funds would be judiciously utilized for the good of the
larger number, the leadership would love and cherish the led. That is
the essence of Christmas, which we commend to all Nigerians, indeed,
to all humanity, at this time’’.
According to the royal father, ’’it was love that took Jesus to the
cross. If His heart was not welling and overflowing with love, He
could not have offered Himself as a sacrifice. At this time in our
country, we commend this love to all citizens. Love that considers
others first, love that prefers others above personal and selfish
desires, love that seeks to emancipate, to unshackle and liberate.
‘’Love, sincerity of purpose, sense of commitment and patriotism will
take us above internecine killings, agitations, and other divisive
tendencies. Let every Christian imbibe all these, and let them inspire
non-Christians with their genuine display of the attribute’’.