By Chief Enewari Timi-ikio
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Youth leadership opportunities allow youths to grow in a positive environment that Promotes personal growth. Increasing opportunities given to youths allows them to become more active in community and in extracurricular activities and while creating lifelong skills.
Leadership is also part of experiential learning.
It therefore paramount to note that youth leadership development is critical in building civic capacity, social capital, and long-term community sustainability in both local and international communities. Youth mentorship programs open useful opportunities and build the self-confidence of young people in order to ensure capable, effective leaders for the next generation.
Noteworthy, His Excellency Chief Timipre Marlin Sylva is a generational thinker who saw bundles of potentials in young people far back 2007 and harnessed them early by throwing doors of his government open for very young and creative youth by appointing them into key strategic positions as then Governor of Bayelsa State.
These youths not only performed exceptionally well as Chief Sylva’s appointees but served the entire state with the best of their abilities and creative acumens which recorded several giants strides in that administration. It is on record that, since after our late father and Ijaw nationalist leader, Chief Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha of blessed memory as the first executive governor of Bayelsa State who set the ball rolling on issues concerning governance in this state, no government has ever availed young people the endless opportunities like Chief Sylva did between 2007-2011.
The greatest disservice this piece will do to His Excellency Chief Timipre Marlin Sylva and the audience is to deliberately ignore or not mention some of these notable youths who got the benevolence to serve in that government and are strong pillars politically till this present day. These are; Chief Samuel Ogbuku PhD who was Chief of Staff and currently the Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Hon. Israel Sunny-Goli Special Adviser on Youths and immediate past member representing Nembe-Brass federal constituency, Hon. Donli Julie Okah Executive Assistant and the immediate past Director, National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP), Hon. Silva Opuala-Charles PhD Commissioner for Finance, Dr Azabapu Erauni Commissioner for Health and now CEO Azikel Group, Hon Maxwell Oko Commissioner for Energy, Hon. Jones Ere Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Barr. Dennis Otiotio PhD Special Adviser on Legal Matters and currently Chairman All Progressives Congress (APC) Bayelsa State, Hon. Tonye Okio PhD Governor’s Representative Abuja and currently Commissioner Federal Characters Commission.
Others are Von Kemedi Dimieari Director of Due Process Bureau, Hon. Oyanbo Owei Special Adviser New Media and currently member governing board of Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Hon. Michael Bless Olomo Special Adviser on Student Affairs and APC’s candidate for Sagbama-Ekeremor federal constituency in just concluded 2023 general election, Hon. Lucky Yebogha was and current Special Adviser on Domestic Matters to the incumbent Governor Douye Diri, Jonah Okah Governor’s Speech Writer, Timi Zikiri Senior Special Assistant on Persons with Disability, Hon. Austin Adigio Personal Assistant, Hon. Hellen Bob was Caretaker Chairperson Brass Local Government Area, Mrs Ebi Ogionwo Caretaker Chairperson Kolokuma Local Government Area and Hon. Evelyn Odi Caretaker Chairperson Sagbama Local Government Area.
Most of all these aforementioned names under Chief Timipre Marlin Sylva’s government were in their thirties (30s) and just very few in early forties (40s). Chief Sylva’s magic wand in the discovery of young talents and entrusting them with key leadership positions is one of his greatest assets as a leader which has not only built men and women in politics but has proficiently stamped them both on governance of this country and mega private businesses around the world.
As a young House of Assembly Member at the age of 27 in the old Rivers State, Chief Sylva inhabits the passion of raising young people to always take up the leadership challenge early in order to impact society and generations positively.
The optics of Chief Sylva’s emergence as Governorship Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bayelsa State in the forthcoming November 2023 gubernatorial election is a precursor to another brand new era of young creative minds availed ample opportunities to proffer solution to critical issues of governance concerning the state.
*Chief Enewari Timi-ikio is political commentator
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