The wife of Lagos State governor, Mrs Bolanle Ambode, on Tuesday, urged students at all levels to shun all forms of vices, such as drug abuse, cultism, prostitution, rape, thuggery and so forth, saying indulgence in any of them would do them no good, rather ruin their careers and lives permanently.
She gave this advice while delivering a keynote address at the 2nd distinguished lecture series organised by the Lagos State University, LASU, Ojo, at its main campus. The lecture, themed: “Life skills education for employment and entrepreneurship learning in the 21st Century,” has Mrs Enitan Dan-Faparusi (a pilot and lawyer), Mrs Joke Jacobs (an actress) and Mr Segun Arinse (an actor) as guest speakers.
Speaking further, Mrs Ambode, told the students that, though, sometimes, they might face with an emotional challenge or peer pressure, they shouldn’t in any way give in to such challenges either in or outside the school.
According to her, all that is required of you, especially now as students, is to give your studies a deserve attention and ensure you pursue your dreams while at the same time, be law abiding.
She said they had no excuse to do anything contrary to societal norms and values.
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On their own contributions, the trio of guest speakers gave some tips that could help the students to succeed in careers and other endeavours irrespective of their courses of study.
Speaking separately and using their personal life experiences right from their childhood days to the present to drive home their points, they asked the students not only to take their studies and other activities required of them very seriously but to also cultivate entrepreneurial spirit so as to become economically relevant even as students.
They said what students, especially in tertiary institutions in the country should be more concerned about today, is how to be self-employed and become employers of labour after graduation instead of roaming the streets for the non-existing white collar jobs.
They said the students would need to gain the right knowledge and acquire skills to build on as they move up in life, adding that whatever things they do now are capable of shaping their future.
They, therefore, asked them (the students) to be creative, focus, resilience, self-motivated, determined, hardworking, positive in thinking, self-confidence, as well as having faith in God in whatever legitimate paths they choose to go.
They said to tell them that things were always a bed of roses for those who make it legitimately to the top would be a blatant lie but that the difference was that they see challenges as steps and not obstacles to the top.
Speaking earlier, the vice-chancellor of LASU, Prof Olarenwaju Fagbohun, said the distinguished lecture series was designed to sharpen the entrepreneurial knowledge and skills of students, which they may not be taught in class.
He said that was why the university also brought familiar faces including Ambode’s wife and Mrs Dan-Faparusi, both alumni of the school, ad the two other guests to share their life experiences as regards how they get to where they are today, with the students.
He said the poor economic situation in the country today was enough to put any serious university to task in producing not just graduates but graduates that would be globally relevant.
“And that is what we are doing and continue to do in LASU,” he said.
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