Receiving members of the 2018 Ogbaru Children's Parliament who came on a courtesy visit to his office, the Chairman of Ogbaru local government area, Hon. Arinzechukwu Awogu, extolled the brilliance of the students in the written and oral examination that produced them as members of Ogbaru Children's Parliament.
The Council Chairman reminded them of the significance of what they are as Parliamentarians. He said that the concept of; "the youths are the leaders of tomorrow," is misleading. Stressing that such make-believe gives the youths false hope of assuming leadership tomorrow while failing to prepare today for the tomorrow's leadership. He said that the concept of Children's Parliament was to prepare them for tomorrow's leadership.
"If you seized power unprepared, you would have succeeded in creating leadership problem such as we had at independence when those who said they were not yet ready for independence were handed power to as against those who since the 1940s had prepared for leadership of the country and we have not recovered from that miscalculation of the British colonial masters till date."
He said that leadership goes with mental preparation and maturity of the mind... connecting the mind with acquired knowledge and native intelligence to produce a cognitive state of mind that makes good leadership seamless.
"Preparation for leadership is a process and not a happenstance, and today the process of preparing you for tomorrow's leadership has begun. The parliament whose prototype you are now a member of is the true symbol of democracy.
It is the most fought against arm of government and it is indeed the microcosm of the people. In a military regime, the only arm they battle to put out is the legislature/parliament. In a dictatorial democracy, the only arm they struggle to suppress is the legislature and it tells you the central position of the legislature in governance and that is where you are now as members of the Ogbaru Children's Parliament."
The Council boss said that there were agitation in some quarters over the emergence of a Yoruba student as a member of the parliament and that he was shocked at the level of ethnic jingoism displayed by a few individuals and cautioned against such disdainful atempt at importing ethic sentiments into a purely academic exercise.
The Chairman said that Master Owolabi Sherriff from Oxford Creative International Secondary School, Iyowa Odekpe that emerged as the Male Ambassador, was as a result of dint of hard work which translated into academic brilliance that gave him an edge in the election. Wondering why the fuss about Owolabi's emergence.
"I can only deduce the fact that Owolabi simply showed brilliance to defeat all other contestants as there was no trace of manipulation in the process other than pure merit. But to satisfy the agitators, I directed the Head of Education Department in the local government to investigate and furnish me with a report on the conduct of the Children's Parliament election which also proved that not just Owolabi but the rest members of the Parliament emerged as a result of sheer brilliance."
The Council boss urged the students to do the local government proud as they move to Awka to engage other students from the rest local government areas of the state in further academic exercise.
The Speaker of the Ogbaru Children's Parliament, Miss Okoro Florence Chdimma from Ideke Girls Secondary School, Iyiowa Odekpe, in her vote of thanks appreciated the Council Chairman, Hon. Arinzechukwu Awogu for finding time to receive them and for believing that for the youths to be leaders of tomorrow, its preparation has to start from today.
The Speaker assured the Council boss that they will come back to Ogbaru with honors. The Chairman thereafter undertook to bear the cost of their going to Awka to represent the local government.
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