Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
A group, Fasttrack Development Initiative (FDI) has called on youths to build right character and take decisive actions to achieve a better future.
Executive Director of FDI, Mr Justus Ngerebara gave the charge at their Annual Emerging Leaders Conference with the theme “Choices, Character and the Future,” held in Port Harcourt at the weekend.
Represented by his Executive Secretary, Dr. Ineme-Awaji John, the FDI Executive Director emphasised that youths in the present life are gradually loosing focus necessitating the need for proper guidance and coaching.
He noted that character and choices a young person makes can either make or mar their future, adding that the conference was to re engineer their thought processes and help them realign their mindsets towards achieving their life goals.
“Our vision is actually to re-engineer the minds of the youth, their thought process, and to force them to achieve greater future endeavor in their life. We have come to see and understand that in this society of today, many youths have lost focus, many youths no longer believe in themselves, many youths don’t think that there is a future for themselves. You could have seen and heard from many of them who would say, adulthood is a scam.
“So we are preparing them to believe that adulthood indeed is not a scambut there is a place in the future for them, not just today, but our tomorrow is greater. So we are creating a scenario and an avenue for them to move forward in rebranding their thought process, rebranding their expectations in life. That’s why we think that character is a key thing to begin with, ” he stated.
Speaking on the year’s theme, he noted, “Changing your character and having a better attitude for tomorrow will revisit your choices that you make in life, and ultimately create a better future for you tomorrow.”
The FDI director charged youths to dream big, believe in themselves and pursue their dreams legitimately while assuring them of a greater future ahead.
Delivering a lecture on making right choices, a chartered conciliator and former National Deputy President of the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators, Dr. Ken-Fashola Ayibaemi, stated that choices have consequences, charging participsnts that whatever choices they make have consequences that can meet them at irreversible points.
Ayibaemi stated that the future is shaped by choices, pointing out that the quality of ones future is as result of present day choices.
The guest lecturer warned youths not to be lured by immediate benefits to make damaging choices.
“What is right is right, what is wrong is wrong, inspite of the immediate benefitswhat is right is right, what is wrong is wrong, ” he stated.
While commending FDI for helping to shape the choices of youths in the country, Ayibaemi called on other organisations and government in particular to provide the right leadership atmosphere for youths to develop and bring their dreams to reality.
“Government should take responsibility, government is a creator,government should take responsibility for its duties, create environments, empower people, create atmospheres, create opportunities, even if it’s not directly to the youths.
Look at where we are today, look at the opportunities that is being created by an individual, if government enables people, good people will arise, responsible people will arise and they will encourage youths, and that is where we are today,” he stressed.
Our correspondent reports that the event attracted over 600 youths cutting across the entire country in attendance, also had Emeka Nobis and Pastor Jackson Adebisi as speakers.