We Should Project Institutions More Than Our Individual Interests – NYCN Chairman Urges

…bags youth leadership award

…congratulates A’Ibom at 34

The Chairman of National Youth Council of Nigeria, Akwa Ibom State Chapter, Barr. Theodore Williams has urged youths within and across the shores of Akwa Ibom State to evolve a leadership culture were personal interests of any kind, self aggrandizement and favoritism will be relegated to the background and uphold the leadership principle of leaving behind stronger and enduring legacies that will stand the taste of time.

The NYCN Boss made this charge on Tuesday while playing host to Forum of Former Chairmen of the youth the Council at the Council’s Secretariat in Uyo.

Barr. Theodore Williams noted with dismay the upsurge of all manners of intrigues, blackmail, sycophancy and mediocrity amongst the youths of Akwa Ibom State and by extension Nigeria which has deferred and thwarted the cardinal objectives and essence of youths involvement in national development. He posited that these unwholesome practices has only helped to create room for insincerity, balkanization of the youth structure and engender the distrust of the capacity and preparedness of the youths, nay the younger generation by the elders to ascend the reins of leadership.

He also noted that the National Youth Council of Nigeria is as the apex youth body is the umbrella youth group for all other youth bodies in the country. As such the Youth Council is a key partner in government policy development and an essential policy influencer in all aspects of national development and not only on matters or policies that affects the youths alone. He also listed as one of the objective of the youth council to include, to supervise and aid in the implementation of government policies as its relates to youth emancipation, youth development and youth advancement in the country.

The learned gentleman stated that the Akwa Ibom State Youth structure which encompasses many youth groups in the state has not had any course to invoke its innate pressure velve on the government through agitation inspite of the complex nature of the different youth groups in the state, chiefly due to the ingenuity and sterling leadership of our youth friendly governor and the honourable commissioner of youth and sports.

Barr. Williams hinted that the National Youth Council of Nigeria created by an act of Parliament in 1964 is a non political and non- partisan youth organization which has been in the forefront of promoting activities that are geared towards the advancement and development of youths most particularly in Akwa Ibom State.

“For an instance, when the Akwa Ibom State Youth Development Bill was before the state house of assembly, I led a delegation of the NYCN to the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly to register our position in the said bill, we have also been equally proactive in the legislative business of the AKHA whenever we are invited to contribute our quota most particularly in cases that affects the youths of Akwa Ibom State”. He stated as part of the achievement of his tenure and in the same vein urged the state governor His Excellency Mr. Udom Emmanuel to give the youths of Akwa Ibom State a memorable and everlasting 34th anniversary present by signing into Law the Akwa Ibom State Youth Development Bill.

The NYCN Boss maintained that for the society to advance and continue to enjoy peace and function uptimally, leaders, both the youth and the elderly must operate with the confine of the laws that gives them the leadership position and shouldn’t see themselves as been bigger than the youths or the organizations that they represent. Their allegiance should not be to the different youths institutions they belong to but to the upholding of the institutional values, and norms of the society. He admonished the youth leaders as the opinion leaders of their communities, state and country to refrain from protecting individual interests and collectively promote the interests of the institutions they all represent and speak for.

He congratulated Akwa Ibom State at 34 reeling out the developmental strides recorded by the state in the last thirty four years with different administrations both the military and civilian government while noting that the leaders shouldn’t relent effort in maintaining, sustaining and retaining the sustainable development in the state.

Similarly, Barr. Theodore Williams, The Chairman of National Youth Council of Nigeria, Akwa Ibom State Chapter was bestowed with a Youth Leadership Award of Excellence in recognition of his selfless effort and commitment towards youths growth and progress in Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria at large.

The award was presented to Barr. Theodore Williams by the Forum of Former Youth Council Chairmen who piloted the affairs of the Council from 2007-2017.

The delegation led by the Forum Chairman, Comrade Mbuotidem Idang congratulated the NYCN Boss on his elevation as the Chairman of the Council in Akwa Ibom State describing it as a right step in the right direction while affirming their unalloyed support to his led administration and that of His Excellency Governor Udom Emmanuel, the Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom which they also described as the most youth friendly governor who has created lofty programmes for the youths most especially in the area of human capacity development, amongst others.