SKP ADMONISHES THE YOUTH TO TURN A NEW LEAF AND BECOME A VOLUNTARY APOSTLE OF CHANGE FOR A BETTER SOCIETY

WELCOME ADDRESS DELIVERED BY HIGH CHIEF DR SAMSON KUNLE POPOOLA JP, STATE CHAIRMAN PCRC OGUN STATE AT THE PCRC/NYCN YOUTH SECURITY SUMMIT HELD AT VALLEY VIEW AUDITORIUM GOVERNMENT HOUSE ISALE IGBEIN ABEOKUTA ON TUESDAY, 8TH MARCH, 2022.

PROTOCOLS.

It was the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo of blessed memory that posited during the launch of the free education program of the then Western State that " the children of the poor, the rich refused to train today will tomorrow not let their own children sleep".

This assertion cannot be more relevant and prophetic than what we are all witnessing today in this Nation in terms of the increasing waves of crimes and criminalities among our youths and young adults between the ages of 12 and 35 or thereabout.

Armed and violent robbery, cultism, ritual killings, rape, drug and substance abuse, internet fraud (Yahoo, Yahoo+ and even Yahoo++), insatiable search for wealth etc are daily occurrence in our society. Indeed the bastard has attained adulthood.

We in Police Community Relations Committe of Ogun State under our National Chairman Amb Dr Farouk Abdullahi Maiyama phd and our National Vice Chairman Southwest,Alhaji Mogaji Ibraheem Olaniyan, as a critical stakeholder in the Security architecture of our dear state and working in partnership with the National Youth Council of Nigeria, Ogun State, thought it wise, desirable and as a sense of urgent national duty to contribute our quota to the search for solutions rather than being part of the problem.

The program of today was designed to be wholly interactive aimed at

1. Identifying the problems.

2. Agreeing together that it is indeed a problem that needs solutions.

3. Identify the causes and catalysts of the problems.

4. Proffering workable and practical solutions.

5. Resolving here and now that we are going to be part of the solution.

We deliberately agreed that this will not be another talk shop or grammar blowing programme, but a down to earth interactive session in the language we understand, to rejuvenate our collective conscience to make this country a better place.

We are not interested in analysing offences and corresponding jail terms, we are not here to threaten you with the powers of the law but to appeal to your conscience to turn a new leaf and become a voluntary apostle of change and a better society.

None of us can claim innocence in the societal decay and decadence in our society... We are all guilty of negligence, over indulgence, deceit, dereliction of our collective duties to fatherland etc and therefore we must all come together to chart a new cause for these children. 

Let's be factual and straight in our dealings with these young ones, let's all bury our shame and accept responsibility,  let the herbalists, pastors, prophets and imams stop receiving these young ones about shortcuts to wealth, let's reduce prosperity propagation and concentrate on  preaching hard work, dedication, patriotism and resilience.. let's mentor positively and reduce ostentatious living and flaunting of ill gotten wealth, let's stop engaging youths in thuggery and violence for economic and selfish political gains.

Tomorrow is here with us all, and the omen is not looking too good. We must not loose our tomorrow on the platter of today's convinience.

Let us use this occassion to raise a new spirit and soldiers of change that are capable of taking the message of hope back to their various communities and stake holdings to become apostle of change.

We must all be ready to speak up today and show us the path of solution to the myriad of problems confronting and leading us into crime and criminalities, so that together we will fight it to a victorious end.

This is a task that must be done if we must all die well and rest in peace after our sojourn here on Earth.

I cannot end this address without thanking those who supported this programme including our Patron High Chief Olakunle of Laleck hotels and suites and Laleck Estates, Olu of Obafe, and Tolani Shodipe foundation as well as the Ogun state government and our indefatigable Commissioner of Police Cp Lanre Sikiru Bankole psc and other sister agencies for giving us the enabling environment to pull this through.

It is on this note that I welcome you all to this epoch making event. God bless you all for listening. I wish us all  fruitful deliberations.

Ven. Dr. Samson Kunle Popoola (JP)

State Chairman

Ogun State PCRC