Let's Reorientate Ourselves, Olamiju Charges Youth

..rejects Obokun Youths Award

The Special Adviser to the Governor, State of Osun on Public Health, Pharm. (Dr) Olasiji Olamiju has charged all the youths in the state to re-orientate themselves and dare to challenge the status quo. 

He stated this at the 2019 annual Congress organised by the Obokun Youths Assembly held on Saturday at Esa-Oke town hall.

The Pharmaceutical doctor cum politician who was a guest of honour at the event congratulated the speaker of the youths Assembly and the members for coming together to organise the congress and for the wide publicity given to the event.

He however expressed displeasure about the non participation of many youths of the area in the event despite the importance of the gathering.

He used the occasion to charge the youths to be the change they want and contribute to the societal progress by being useful for themselves and the society.

According to him, “I came here to show solidarity for the Obokun Youth Assembly's annual congress. I was invited and I am happy to be here. I want to congratulate the Honourable Speaker and other members for coming together to organise this."

"If you've been promoting a programme that connects all the youths in the whole Obokun local government and this hall cannot be filled up, then, something is wrong with all of us, including me. That is to say, there is a need for serious re-orientation towards the way you do things. If truly we are Obokun youths that is not based on parochial interests, this place should be filled to its brim."

"Mr speaker, when you say youths, you have all encompassing devoid of political interest, but is that shown here? The answer is emphatic No. Let's go back to the drawing board and re-plan."

"I grew up here all through - from NUD primary school to St Joseph and Esa-Oke grammar school where I was the school's senior prefect. In the Obafemi Awolowo University, I was the National President of the then, Obokun local government students' union and our reasoning then was to preach hardwork, trustworthiness and sincerity. We were not after immediate gains"

"If we are all saying Nigeria is bad, who will change it for us? Is it not we youths? It is not by fighting or to carry guns, the tool to change the country is in our brains. We have to start thinking on how to challenge the status quo so that we don't get run over."

"During the last electioneering campaigns, this assembly never saw the reason to associate with me. I want the best for every youth. I want every youths to be financially independent in their chosen area of life and that is why my preaching is different. I don't preach civilised slavery because we're all born equal."

On the award rejection, he said thus, "I don't accept awards anyhow, especially from people we could not reason alike for their better tomorrow. I will take an award from you when OYA starts fostering unity of purpose and thinking of a tomorrow, where each and every member will be beneficiary, not a parochial and selfish ground."

"The most costly thing for me is time not money. If I can take my time to be somewhere, it means that thing is so important. OYA is so important to me, I must say. I am one of you but we have to re-plan, re-strategise and reposition this assembly", he concluded.

In his response, the Speaker of the Assembly, Hon. Aderemi Apabiekun appreciated Dr Olamiju for his sincerity and explained that he has worked so hard to unite the group.

"This is the tenth years I have been piloting the affairs of OYA as the speaker. I have spent more than a hundred thousand on this event but the politicians are the one destabilising us, everything has been politicized. We have taken your advice and we appreciate your sincerity", Apabiekun said.