16/04/2021
Build Capacity to add value to National Development, EARCOM Boss charges youths
The Executive Chairman of the Akwa Ibom State Ethical and Attitudinal Reorientation Commission, EARCOM, Dr Dorothy Thompson has charged the youth of Akwa Ibom State to build capacity to add value and make meaningful contributions to the growth of the Nation.
Dr Thompson gave the charge on Thursday, during a One Day Youth Summit organized by the National Orientation Agency, NOA, with the theme: The Role of Youths in Nation Building held at the Conference Hall of Federal Secretariat in Uyo as
part of events to enhance Youth participation in National Development.
According to Dr Thompson who was the Chairman of the event, youths can add value and contribute meaningfully to Nation building by developing themselves educationally, getting requisite exposure, staying away from crime and being morally sound.
She stressed that youths must be vision driven and be able to interpret dreams, both of which, she explained, can help them add value to any system they are drafted into to serve in positions of responsibility.
Dr Thompson who asked youths to look up to role models like French President, Emmanuel Macron, Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg among other illustrious youths, argued that, youths should emulate such distinguished personalities and look to growing up and becoming like them.
To achieve this lofty goals however, Dr Thompson urged youths to also shun wrong associations with cultists or other miscreants and be disciplined, focused and develop skills to be equipped with capacity to contribute meaningfully to Nation building and also take up leadership roles when the opportunity comes.
Dr Thompson while commending the NOA for organizing the Youth Summit said, it provided an opportunity for youths to engage in sober reflection on the way forward considering the challenge of unemployment and other critical problems facing the nation at the moment.
She lauded Governor Udom Emmanuel for what she described as his balanced approach to leadership and governance explaining that, he is age friendly, gender friendly and youth friendly in his appointments with opportunities given to youths, women and senior citizens of the state most of whom she maintained, are performing creditably in their positions of responsibility.
She urged youths to be morally sound, educated and rely on God which she said, are attributes which will make them excel. She charged them to take a cue from the Biblical Joseph, Daniel and Esther who were disciplined youths and feared God, thus becoming leaders in their different constituencies of operation.
Dr Thompson stressed that, EARCOM under her watch will assist the state government through its activities to reduce crime, drug abuse, sexual misconduct and other social vices in the communities as well as fight cultism, which she observed has been proscribed by Governor Emmanuel.
On the recent cases of communal and cult clashes in some Local Government Areas of the State, the EARCOM Chairman called on the youths to embrace peace and desist from dreaded violence which may cost their lives.
She however enjoined youths to take advantage of the summit and pursue skills acquisition, to get empowered with hands on experiences which will allow them take their destinies in their own hands and future-proof them for sustainable national development.
The Youth Summit was well attended by Youth leaders and groups; representatives of various security agencies, top government officials, student leaders and the general public.
