By Ileme Chidiebele
A broadcaster with the African Independent Television (AIT), Mr. Ena Agbanoma, has advised students and youths in the country to develop the power of positive thinking in order to maximize their potentials. He said actions and decisions often reflect the quality of one’s thoughts and urged students never to sink their youthful energies in a pool of negative imagination.
Agbanoma made the appeal, while addressing graduating students of St Jude’s Private Schools, FESTAC Town, Lagos. Speaking on the topic, “Youths Today, Leaders Tomorrow,” he charged the students to channel their youthful energies to productive ventures that would make valuable impact on their lives and the society.
“Former President Nnamdi Azikiwe once said, “Give me back my youth and I will pay anything for it.” This should be instructive to youths, that one time president once wanted back his youth at any cost,” he said.
Agbanoma encouraged the students to develop can-do spirit and see every stumbling block as a steppingstone to greatness. According to him, the fear of failure often hinders most people from maximizing their true potentials.
“Obstacles, failure and challenges are the breakfast of champions. You are not a failure until you accept that you are one. The picture you capture ultimately determines your future. Picture positive images of prominence in your mind. Understand that your mindset determines your life set,” he advised.
The Principal, Idowu Abayomi, in his opening speech, warned parents against flaunting their wealth in front of their children as this would misguide their conception of hard work and make them believe that life is laid out for them.
“You hear parents saying that their child or parents will not suffer like they (parents) suffered,” he said. “But this is wrong. You need to let your children also sweat. Let them work hard. Sometimes, it is good to hide your wealth. Let the children see the need to struggle for success,” he advised.
Abayomi said parents should create artificial scarcity before their children in order to teach them to become frugal with available resources. He argued that the wastage of resources in the country by past leaders was because most of them floated on affluence and never struggled for survival.
“Let the children know that life is not all that rosy. That will encourage them to work hard to distinguish themselves,” he said. He condemned indolence among students, saying that some students resort to examination malpractice because they never believed in hard work. He described St Jude as a school that believes in diligence, noting that the school inculcated in the students the trait of independent living. He further described the graduating class as unique, hard working and obedient.
The proprietress of the school, Mrs. Ijeoma Jatto, described education as the best legacy to a child and urged the graduating students to become worthy ambassadors of the school.