The President, Lere Local Government Youth Forum, LELOGY, Mubarak Ibrahim has described the International Youth day as an opportunity to celebrate together the enthusiasm, the creativity & the talented and the energy of young People within Nigeria and the globe.
In his message on the 23st anniversary of International Youth day, Ibrahim noted that young people are an untapped reservoir of talent, the symbol of our future.
"It is essential for our leaders to give us (the youth) a right tools to express our opinions and unlock our potentials" he said.
"Nowadays, the world is changing rapidly and over the past few years social media have caused tremendous social, political and lifestyle changes. Whenever we want to connect with people, stay informed or influence someone else’s habits, we use the social media. As a matter of fact, social media seems to be a big part of our lives".
Ibrahim stressed the relevance of using social media judiciously, as whatever is posted on social media remains documented for ages. "Young people are encouraged on daily basis to display the spirit of patriotism, Activism, nationalism towards their nation not individual. Criticism is an ingredient of democracy, but as a responsible Youths, you should engage in Constructive critics and avoid defamation of character. You don't need to ruin someone reputation with social media tools" he added.
He further stated: "From a senior perspective as Youth President (Lere Local government youth forum) though it can be hard to fully understand the dynamics of our leadership style, envision the many challenges that youth face everyday and realize how competitive this world can be. Sometimes it can be difficult to see the world through the eyes of youth".
"We misused our opportunity to contribute in decision making of our country, although it's not too late, we still have limited opportunities to take our proper place in the committee of our Nation" he further stated.
LELOGY's president added that today´s generation of youth is the largest in history. Yet too often, across the world, the opportunities for young people to engage politically, economically and socially are limited.
In this regard, he called on youth to be law abiding citizens, and avoid destructive criticism, defamation, and slandering targeting at those in leadership. Ibrahim also urged youths to abstain from anything that's capable of ruining your future.