Northern Youths Progressive Forum has conferred the traditional title of Garkuwan Matasan Arewa (the shield of the northern youths) on the vice chancellor of Bowen University, Iwo, Osun State, Professor Joshua Ogunwole.
Speaking at the official presentation of the award recently held at the university’s council chamber, the president of the forum, Mr Abdul Malik Attahiru stated that the conferment was an honour well-deserved by Professor Ogunwole for his consistent support for youth development in Nigeria.
“Professor Ogunwole has been in the vanguard of promoting the economic and political participation of youths and their unity in the last 30 years of his interactions with them as a lecturer in the North.
“His continued interest in youths’ development even in the South-West informed the congress’s decision to recommend him for the title at a meeting held in Kaduna as a way of encouraging him to do more. Professor Ogunwole has written his name in gold,” Attahiru noted.
Attahiru, who is a lawyer, called on youths in the country to work together in order to protect the unity of Nigeria and to safeguard its posterity.
Speaking about the objectives of the group, he said: “Northern Youths Progressive Forum is the national body for all the northern Nigerian youths which covers 19 states in the North, including Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, with the goal of fortifing peace and unity in the country.”
He noted that the future of Nigeria is in the hands of youths, saying “if we want Nigeria to be a great country, all hands must be on the deck to sanitise the system. This is why all the youths from the North and the southern part of the county must come together and brainstorm on ways to sustain our diversities.”
In his response, the vice chancellor, Professor Ogunwole, thanked the group for the honour, as he pledged to continue to give his moral support towards the progress of the Nigerian youths, irrespective of their tribes and religions.
“Youths have the potential to transform any society. Nigeria as a nation is endowed with forward-looking youth leaders who can cause changes to occur. With the little interactions I have had with them, I believe in them and their abilities to perform and succeed at any level of leadership position.
“Any nation that underrates its youths or students is just putting itself in a path of oblivion; hence, the reason Bowen University is investing in its students to make them relevant in their world,” the vice chancellor said.
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