Former Minister of Education during the tenure of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Chief Kenneth Gbagi, has charged students of tertiary institutions in Delta State to take responsibility for their future.
Gbagi, who observed that students have various roles to play in creating a better state for themselves by being responsible citizens and electing good leaders, encouraged them to develop a hunger to effect positive change in the state.
The Urhobo-born business mogul gave the charge at the weekend during a familiarisation visit by student leaders of all tertiary institutions in the state, held at his Oginibo country home in Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state.
Chief Gbagi said though his meeting with the student leaders was at his instance, it was not for the purpose of political gratification, but to pep up the youth to determine what happens around them.
“Why did I say I want to meet the students of all the institutions? All of you here are of voting age. In every country in the world, people of your age are the people that change the situation of the country from bad to good.
“There’s something we must to do to change our situation from where we are now, to where we ought to be. We owe ourselves a duty to make sure this state works,” he noted.
He urged the students to be deliberate in effecting positive change in the state, saying “if you are unable to change this state positively, it means you yourself have failed. Not the governor, not the House of Assembly members.”
Rather than complaining that the government is not working, the chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state advised the students to think about what they could do for their country.
“Have you created a platform for development? Truth is you must be a party to how your life is structured. You must make a choice, you must be intentional for what is right to happen.
“A proper government is that government that makes sure that its citizenry has a source of livelihood.
“In this state, with what we have here, you can change your future with the possibilities that are here,” he charged the students with a pledge to add value to the educational sector of the state if elected as governor in future.
Meanwhile, the over 85 students who represented their colleagues from 16 institutions across the state thanked their host for his words of encouragement and the COVID-19 relief materials presented to them.
Student Union President of the School of Science & Technology, Ozoro, Comrade Success Efebe and Comr. Ako Oghenetega Kenneth of the Student Union at Delta State Polytechnic both urged Chief Gbagi to consider improving the infrastructure in higher institutions in the state rather than establishing new ones.
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