By ZAKAA LAZARUS
The Director General of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu has applauded Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre (CLTC) for its role in preparing Nigerian youths to become effective leaders.
He gave the commendation while delivering a goodwill message at a youth conference organised by (CLTC) in commemoration of Nigeria’s 65th independence anniversary, which was held at Monoliza Event Centre, Abuja.
General Nafiu disclosed that CLTC has been NYSC’s longstanding partner in grooming young graduates by instilling in them values such as unity, patriotism, selflessness, commitment to duty and the like.
While acknowledging the CLTC alongside other institutions like the Nigerian Army, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Independent National Electoral Commission among others, as the key stakeholders in the gains NYSC has recorded in the last 52 years. He appealed for sustenance of the bilateral rapports in order to mould more purposeful youths that would take the nation to greater heights.
The NYSC boss said that the theme of the conference; “Reviving Values and Volunteerism among the Youth” was in line with what NYSC has been doing for over five decades.
He re-echoed this assertion by saying that the Scheme had been able to inculcate the spirit of volunteerism in Corps Members through its Community Development Service (CDS) initiative; as a result of which they (Corps Members) had contributed significantly in uplifting the living conditions of numerous people in their host communities across the country.
The Chief Executive Officer of Future Africa, Mr Iyinoluwa Abiyeji who delivered a keynote address at the event told the participants that they needed to have four traits that could make any of them stand out and be recognized in order to be bestowed with trust of leadership. He listed the four characteristics as being resolute, resourceful, relentless and taking responsibility.
Earlier in her welcome remarks, the Director General of CLTC, Ms. Rinsola Abiola said that the essence of the conference was to awaken Nigerian youths to embrace national values, and also inspire them to see volunteerism as a way of life, so that they could make impact in the society.
She added that the expected outcome of the conference would be a blueprint of steps that policy formulators could take in order to revive values on which the nation was built.
