The Executive Chairman, Orile-Agege Local Council Development Area, Mr Johnson Babatunde, on Tuesday advised school children and youths not to be nation’s problem.
Babatunde gave the advice at the 11th edition of the School Prefect Leadership Summit organised the International Leadership Talent and Award Conference (INLETACO) in Lagos.
The event, organised for senior prefect boys and girls in selected public and private schools, was tagged: “Leadership and Charisma”.
Babatunde, who commended the organisers, urged students and the youths to shun unruly behaviour and prepare to take up leadership position in the future.
“I want to advise students and youths to shun violence. You should not give yourselves to drugs abuse. You should be agents of change and impact lives of others.
“You should not be the problem, be the solution to the problems. Leadership entails service to humanity,” the council boss said.
Babatunde, who called on stakeholders to join hands with the government in efforts to reform the youths, said that people do not need to be in government before impacting the society where they live.
“This is a great event in bringing the students together, especially prefects among them, to build leadership confidence in them. Programmes like this which tells students how to prepare for the future is great.
“We are arousing their interest in governance and leadership. They will soon be in this position of leadership. They must get themselves prepared.
“If we had this opportunity while we were growing up, probably we would have been better than this,” he added.
Speaking, the Tutor-General/Permanent Secretary Education District III, Dr Yinka Ayandele, who also commended the organiser, said charisma was the oil that fueled leadership.
Ayandele, who was represented by Mrs Folashade Adewuyi, urged the students to prepared to be good leaders of tomorrow with extra ordinary charisma.
“Leadership is a journey and a life-long learning process. Charisma is an innate skill of being able to convince people to follow you and to buy into your vision.
“Charisma is the behavioural trait that draws people to your vision and keep them committed unto the objectives until it is realised. It attracts people to you,” he said.
Highlighting the quality of a leader, Ayandele said a leader must have a vision and direction, with good communication and listening skills.
She said that a leader must be able to sweep through pieces of advice, identify the strength and weakness of each member of his team.
Ayandele said that a leader must be firm, responsible, compassionate and show empathy in order to have support.
Mr Jide Ologun, a legal practitioner, and Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Transformation Opportunity Providers (TOP) Foundation talked about self leadership which he described as discipline and self control.
Ologun said: “You need self leadership. Anyone that has this self leadership, the leadership around him will elevate him or her. If you play now you will pay later.
“If you pay now with will play later. Success is not difficult for the wise. Be serious with your life. There is space for you at the top but you have to play your role,” he said.
Ologun said that anything students wanted to become were possible with self leadership.
Explaining success, Ologun said that students must have strategy (vision and mission), uniqueness, character, choice, excellence, sound minds, and solution.
Speaking, Mrs Sherifat Adedoyin, the Permanent Board Member, Lagos State University Basic Education Board (SUBEB), said that students needed leadership skills at this age of their lives for the betterment of the nation.
Adedoyin urged students not allow anyone make them less inferior and less human being, saying they could make marks and fulfill purpose.
Earlier, the organiser, Rev. Damilola Paul, said that the programme, which started in 2011, had spread to Ogun all in efforts to build leadership traits in school children for nation building.
Paul said: “Our aim is to train leaders that have good leadership qualities for this country. Many were born leaders but not trained leaders, hence the reason for failure.
“We discover that most leaders Nigeria producers do not have leadership orientation but just by chance find themselves in leadership position.”
He said that leadership was not to bully, hurt or maltreat people but being able to serve and impact others.
The event had in attendance senior pefect boys and girls from no fewer than 30 schools across Agege, Alimosho and Ifako Ijaiye Local Government Areas of the state.
The event featured award presentations and crowning of the first of president of School Perfect.
