By Angela Atabo
The Godspeed Leadership and Mentorship Development Initiative (GLEMDI) ,an NGO dedicated to promoting forthrightness in nation building, has built the capacity of secondary school students on self development skills and leadership skills.
Executive Director, GLEMDI , Mr Habila Kayit at the Secondary Schools Head Boys and Girls Leadership Retreat in Abuja said that the gesture was imperative to catch them young in nation building.
Kayit said that the retreat aimed at providing an enabling platform for healthy debates would help student leaders in secondary schools to develop knowledge and leadership skills that would help reach out to the needs in the school community.
He said that the retreat with the theme ” Remodelling Purposeful Leaders :Catch Them Young’ would also students to discard the excuse syndrome and be active solution providers.
“It is time we focused our attention on proffering solutions to some of the challenges we are faced with as a nation. Complaining about the challenges cannot translate to solution.
“Head boys and girls are leaders in their right, therefore ,understanding the huge responsibilities that comes with their position is key.
“The choice of the theme for the 2023 retreat is aimed at exposing young people with principles that will help them succeed as leaders.
“The retreat will address agenda setting, accountable and people centric leadership, mentorship as well as creating an enabling platform for young leaders to interact.”
Kayit said that resource persons were carefully selected so the students would learn would learn from their experiences to encourage self development and help the students to leave lasting legacies that would benefit humanity.
He said that after the retreat ,there would a robust follow-up and feedback from the young leaders would be maintained.
Dr David Dogo,the Keynote Speaker,commended GLEMDI for the initiative and urged them to sustain it to equip future leaders with the requisite skills for national development.
“This is a new initiative that must be sustained. From time past, the notion of addressing young persons as leaders of tomorrow has not changed.
“You are leaders in your right and must build capacity to lead,every leader is a product of a teacher and I am sure your teachers will be glad to see you grow beyond this stage.
“Very soon you will graduate and move to higher institution. It is wrong for you to stop being leaders at this stage. We look forward to seeing some of you grow to be directors, politicians and even president.”
Dogo encouraged the students to remain focused and accountable because a lot of people in the school community were counting on their leadership.
During the panel discussion, the discussants tasked the students on practical steps to uphold good leadership qualities .
Mr Hassan Nurudeen,a discussant said that the essence of leadership is to leave a lasting legacy and it is very important we remain truthful create initiatives to promote academic excellence and be forthright.
Ms Zigwai Tagwai,another discussant, charged the students to be deliberate and responsible as well as set an agenda to achieve their set goal.
Mr Klevar Ocholi ,another discussant said that head boys and head girls in secondary schools serve as both models and mentors and are entrusted with the responsibility of influencing and guiding their peers.
Ocholi therefore, urged them to set positive examples in their actions and words and cultivate a culture of respect, integrity, and aspiration among their fellow students.(NAN)
