24th March, 2014
Kazeem Ugbodaga
Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, and the General Superintendent, Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi, have charged youths in the country to build and develop worthy character if they must achieve their aspirations in life.
The duo spoke at the Youth Empowerment Summit, YES, organised by the Deeper Christian Life Ministry at its Conference Centre, Km 42, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State, Southwest Nigeria at the weekend.
Speaking at the event that attracted over 100,000 students from various schools in Lagos State and its environs, Ezekwesili charged the youths to know that without good character, they will not be able to excel in life.
“You must be known to be of good character. Your character must stand you out to excel. Good character will make people to rely on you. The society is looking for people who can be trusted,” she said.
In her paper, titled: Skills for Excellence and Employability in the Modern World, the former minister added that to excel in life, youths must acquire the capacity for communication.
“If you can’t speak good English, you cannot compete with youths from other parts of the world. You must know how to manage information and you must have the skills to think and solve problems and your possession of personal management skills will stand you out. You have to decide what needs to be measured and you appropriate data to get it done,” she urged the youths.
She emphasized that government must make good macroeconomic and microeconomic polices, build institutions and make investments that would lift the society, lamenting that though, the education system had been messed up, the youths can still conquer.
Ezekwesili also urged Kumuyi who was the convener of the summit, to ensure that apart from the plans to own a university, the church should establish two or three vocational institutions to help young people acquire skills.
In his sermon, Kumuyi said youths could build worthy character if they connect with God through salvation, advising that youths who desired to glow make the intelligent choice of accepting Christ as personal Lord and Saviour as it is only then that the heavenly father could make, mould and mend their lives.
He stated that having a significant life is good and desirable but that it is not cheap or inaccessible, reiterating that the youths must discipline themselves to make it in life
Kumuyi challenged the students to prepare for the significant life by reading daily the biblical pathway that led to spectacular progress in life and ministry.
