Peterside tasks Christian youths on challenge of leadership

Dr Dakuku Peterside, the Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), has called on youths to rise up and face the challenge of leadership in all areas of national life.

Peterside spoke on Saturday in Abuja at a youth programme organised by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Region 10.

The programme captioned ‘IGNITE’, with the theme: “Taking Territories’’, was classified into three different segments: politics, economics and spiritual.

He said that there was need for youths to be ready to take `frontiers and territories’ in order for them to fulfil their leadership potentials.

“Nobody is depriving the youths; I became a local government chairman before the age of 32; a commissioner before the age of 34 and I was in the National Assembly before I clocked 38.

“Youths are not deprived; you must go out there, do what is right and take over territories; nobody takes action by sleeping and wishing.

“If your purpose is not to serve in the political space, no matter what we say here, if you go to the political space you might likely not succeed.

“For those who have discovered their purpose and they have discovered that they are called to offer political leadership, don’t stay in your comfort zones,’’ Peterside said.

Pastor Johnson Odesola, the Assistant General Overseer of the RCCG, said that there was an awareness among Christian youths , to take action and participate in the affairs of the country.

He tasked youths not to neglect their areas of responsibility; adding that there would never be a change without them striving hard for it.

“We want to create awareness largely for the youths of our nation. Everywhere has been neglected in the process of events.

“We want them to know that if they do nothing, they will become nothing.

“They have to put on actions and participate. Change will not come by itself; people have to bring change. We want to be able to have a proper Nigeria in the future,’’ Odesola said.

Pastor Ibitayo Emmanuel, the pastor in charge of Region 10, urged the youths not to depend on white-collar jobs, adding that they should put what they read in the university into practice.

Emmanuel said the church had organised skill acquisition programmes for the youths to enable them become self-employed.

“The job these people are looking for, the job is not there. Somebody read agric and he is looking for a white-collar job instead of practising what they have studied in the university.

“By the grace of God the church is doing skill acquisition programmes. We empower them financially so that they can be on their own.

“We are mobilising them to take charge. You cannot take territories sleeping or moving around, but you need to stand up, make a move and you must take responsibilities for your actions,’’ Emmanuel said.

Pastor Emmanuel Tolulope, the National Youth Representation Council Coordinator, RCCG, said that from the spiritual aspect, the objective was to awaken youths to take the bull by its horns.

Tolulope charged the youths to take charge completely by not just talking at the background, adding that “Faith without work is dead.’’