Diri’s Aide Charges Youths On Judicious Deployment of Potentials

By Amos Odhe.

Executive Assistant to Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State, Chief (Barr) Alabh George Turnah has tasked youths across the state and nation on proper deployment of their potentials for the betterment of self and the nation.

Turnah, a former Special Assistant on Youths matters to two former Managing Directors/CEOs of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), gave the charge recently in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa state while celebrating his 40th birthday anniversary.

According to him, that he is now a household name in the Niger Delta region and across the nation is not a yardstick that he has not seen or gone through challenges in life.

He noted that like many Nigerians, he was not born into affluence, but decided from his adolescence to struggle through the walls of schools and other lawful sources of livelihood to make a difference in his life, saying if youths identify their potentials, they should make judicious use of it to better the lots of the society.

He said: ” That you see me today having become a household name doesn’t mean that I’ve not gone through difficulties. Of course I’m human, and I’m not perfect, but had to start struggling in life to make my life better through education and other lawful, but meaningful sources of livelihood.

“In this town, Yenagoa, there was a time carried blocks, mixed l coarse(cement and sand), serve as a bricklayers boy to make ends meet.

“There’s even a time l had to sleep in a church. However, today all that is history. Our youths must continue to be hardworking and ready to serve in any capacity they found themselves.”

Meanwhile, the 40th birthday anniversary of the Bayelsa Governor’s aide which had the creme’ de’ la creme’ of the society in attendance climaxed with a lecture titled: ‘Compass of Human Development in the 21st Century Politics and Governance: A Conversation Conundrum’ delivered by the Vice Chancellor of the Niger Delta University (NDU), Prof. Allen Agih.

In his introductory part of the lecture, the guest lecturer, Professor Agih commended invitees and others for finding time out of their tight schedules to be part of the celebration.

“He said: “The reason why you’re all here is that in one way or the other, you’ve been part of the celebrant’s life, and have moulded him to the person he’s today.

“Compass is a device which determines Cardinal direction, hence the compass of human development in the 21st century does with tools or the devices employed to enable humans attain expected advancement in a more productive and sustainable manner.

The NDU Vice Chancellor who posited that such tools for human advancement have been available from time immemorial, also noted that these devices were inherent in man from creation, just as he, however, maintained that these tools have been re-discovered by the United Nations as the most potent instruments for the advancement of humans and the society, respectively.

“Unfortunately, our current education system doesn’t pay sufficient attention to the development of the compass attributes in the pupils and students while in school.

” This lecture is therefore intended to re-unveil these tools that have been in existence but haven’t been sufficiently utilized over the years, especially in the developing countries.

“The objective of this lecture would’ve been achieved if political and community leaders, leaders of corporate organizations, institutional leaders, individuals and groups, and especially the youths are able to identify and apply more of the doctrine of the compass of human development as re-discovered and made public by the United Nations, which is believed to have more prospects and potentials for sustainable development of societies globally.”