They gathered not to train them how to foment trouble in the society but how to become true leaders in order to solve age-long leadership problems facing the country. The venue was the main hall of Ibadan North Local Government of Oyo state headquartered at Agodi. The programme was a first edition of yearly Leadership and Timely Discovery symposium organized by CP’s Global Concepts in the city of Ibadan while facilitators and moderators cut across private and public establishments.
They converged with the main purpose of educating young ones from selected private and public schools in the city on the timely discovery of oneself and leadership management. The symposium had money and time management, leadership and efficacy of time management and self-discovery as sub-themes. As the main theme and sub-themes of the symposium indicated, the organizers of the youth leadership nurturing programme disappointed those who have addicted with the ‘concept of African time’ for attending occasion of any kind.
The programme started exactly 8’o clock in the morning as scheduled. First session was the registration of participating students from Basorun High School, Best Brain College, St Anne’s Grammar School, and Oba Akinyele High School all in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
After the registration, the participants were grouped into four and allotted with sub-themes of the symposium, while resource persons were at hand to take the future leaders through various principles and techniques expected of them of being true leaders in their political and personal life.
The session was moderated `by the renowned football tactician and former national coach of Super Eagles, Chief Adegboye Onigbinde which lasted for fifteen minutes. At the session, the facilitators of each group painstakingly explained the fundamentals of the sub-themes.
Following the fifteen minute of thoughtful deliberation by the facilitators and students, a representative from each group was chosen collectively as repertoire. Each representative spoke extensively on what his or her group debated on and accessed by the facilitators and moderator.
It was at this session that a new ambassador for the year 2013 was chosen based on presentation style, confidence, language use and adequate knowledge of the topic presented by the representatives. Folahan Omoloju from Best Brain College emerged as the new CP’s Global Concepts 2013 Ambassador.
The unveiling of yearly scholarship tagged CP’s Global Concepts Step Up for Students was part of the highlights of the symposium. According to the convener, Mr Oyediji Oluwasegun, the programme is initiated because of his passion, talent and vision for youth development, especially at secondary school level due to various challenges facing them in the society.
The convener however envisaged an environment where everybody would be driven by his or her passion towards the advancement of the society with the main purpose of giving everyone irrespective of class or status to thrive in all aspects. Mr Oyediji was of the view that everybody should contribute his or her own quota to the enhancement of the society without expecting much from the government. To the youth, they should have a vision and live for their vision. A life without a vision is not a life what living. They should pursue their vision vigorously, the convener said.
Taking the students through the paths of true leadership, the resource persons and the moderator informed that, headship of any kind remains a herculean task for someone who intends to lead his or her followers through righteous paths. Hence, there is need for such person to prepare for the challenges associated with being a leader. Speaking after the other, the facilitators discussed various topics apropos leadership and timely discovery of oneself from their personal experiences for the students to learn practical lessons.
According to Miss Opeyemi Adeleke of Department of Law, University of Ibadan, she resisted her parents’ decision of studying Medicine instead of Law. She pointed out that, her early discovery of specific skills and talents she had helped in choosing the appropriate course of study at the University. Miss Adeleke reiterated that her ability to begin somewhere, not copying someone else, avoiding procrastination and planning were the principles that paid off for her. Hinting the students, the student of law said, adopting these principles would give anyone an edge over others. “You need to maximse your time. If you can do this, you would know that beyond the sky is your limit," she advised.
Speaking on the background of time and money management, Mr Afolabi Ademola, a Banker with Sterling Bank Plc, called on the students to be time focused and manage their money very well. According Mr Ademola, time management of a student starts from the day of entering school. At the school, time and money become the main resources for the student who wants to achieve meaningful things in life, he highlighted. Mr Ademola narrated how he usually taught his child money management techniques such as construction of ‘small box’ known as Kolo in Yoruba parlance. According to him, it has become habit of his child since he taught her the technique to request for the money that she would keep inside the box. Citing this, the banker enjoined parents and guardians to know their children in order to know what they want and integrate time and management techniques into their lifestyle.
“Time is very valuable. It is certain that we should keep our money, but we must keep it in a safe place. Students need to keep their valuable things in the bank”, he added.
The moderator and guest speaker, former Super Eagles Coach and FIFA instructor, Chief Adegboye Onigbinde tutored the students on how to become true leaders through his keynote speech thus:
You become a leader not by your age but due to some circumstances. People have spoken about me being a drummer, an actor, a teacher, a football administrator and tactician. I made my mark in each of these areas. And what is the secret, which is what I want to share with you. One author said, if I cannot be the moon, I will be the star, if I cannot be the star, I will be the star in everything.
Whatever area you find yourself in, make sure you make the mark, so that everybody will know that you were there.
We have a problem in this country, especially among the Yoruba.
The moment a child is born, people will come and pray for the child, as they are praying and telling the parents that their child will become an Alfa. This child will be a reverend gentleman, whether he has been endowed to be a reverend gentleman or not. Your son will be a lawyer, maybe someone is a lawyer and making it well. Our people have forgotten that every person has his own area of calling. For the fact that my father was a farmer does not mean that I will be a successful farmer too. Everybody has his own endowment! That is what I am selling to you.
Don’t allow others to live your life for you. When I am coming here, I decided to wear Babariga for one reason or the other. But, if I now begin to say I am go to talk to students, I should be in shirt and trouser, when I am already know it will not be convenient for me. If I wear shirt and trouser, I have already allowed you to live my life for me. That takes me to where I am today.
The highest discovery you can make is self-discovery, discover yourself. You are something, you are somebody, discover yourself.
Who are mine? What I mine capable of doing? Once you are able to do that you now concentrate on making the use of it. When I was teaching at Ilorin, my students came to me and asked me my area of specialization because whenever they had problems in subjects they have been taught before I entered the class, I am the one who would solve the problems for them. I told them that I started with general education, which was the system in those days.
Now, I did not specialize in Mathematics or English Language, but then, you must have some knowledge of every subject. The secret is this, I believe in God Almighty.
The God is so powerful. I don’t believe Satan exists. Some people will say it is in Bible and Quran. To me, it is just illustration. “People claimed that I am a good coach, but I don’t know how because I was never play football; all places where I taught I played football. All I know is preparation and I don’t limit my possibilities," the Modakeke High Chief said. His words: “Prepare whatever you want to do fully before starting. Don’t be satisfied with half preparation. It is not easy to be a leader, but it is also easy when you are focused”, he noted.
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