Group recommends students unionism as compulsory prerequisite for aspirants seeking elective offices

The Yoruba Students Association in Egypt (YOSTANEG) has recommended active participation in student unionism and schools faith movement as essential prerequisite for politicians seeking elective offices in the country.

The president of the Association, Uthman Ololade Bolajoko who made the call argued that many leaders have failed in governance because they were neither active in extra curricula activities in their school days nor partook in unionism and faith movement in schools.

Speaking in Osogbo while presenting the Association’s Ambassador of Yoruba Cultural Heritage Award to Osun State Governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola in his office.

He stated that heroic men and women who became good leaders and defenders of the right of others did not emerge as champions just because they passed through the four walls of their classrooms but became good leaders for allowing the fire of activism to light up the scholarship and professionalism in them.

According to him, foremost national leaders like Chief Obafemi Awolowo and chief Bola Ige had dynamic background in student unionism and activism. He said their experiences have helped them tremendously in championing the cause of the downtrodden and advance good governance in politics.

Hus words “It is not for fun therefore that in advanced countries, public officers and policy executives in strategic positions are not recruited based on their paper qualifications alone but are subjected to a whole battery of psychological test, among which is their past activism at schools are reckoned with.

“The Director General of the World Health Organization, Professor Adeoye Lambo was in this same frame of mind when at twilight of entering into the third, republic, he suggested that all politicians aspiring to be Presidents or Governors must first of all be allowed to pass through mental test before contesting.”

Justifying the reason for choosing Ogbeni Aregbesola for the association’s prestigious award, the President argued: “Rauf Aregbesola is one of the few Governors in Nigeria that has demonstrated clear and accurate understanding of statism as he has always endeavoured to exploit it towards evolving a socially, politically and economically viable State of Osun”.

When leaders and government in the United States of America and in other advanced countries are exploiting the dynamics of democracy and exploiting the dynamics the constitutional energy which statism offers their legislature in enacting laws and backing cultural norms that enhance fedralism, certain armchair critics who could not fathom the wisdom in the inclusive language that brand Osun as State of Osun, thinking it is just a mere conjugation of alphabets.”

“When we remember your unequalled commitment to the upliftment of everything that Yoruba stands for, amidst the dignifying manner with which you hoist the flag of the Yoruba race to enviable height in America, Cuba and Brazil among others places where Yoruba culture is enacted, we cannot but be assured that there is hope In this project of promoting and articulating Yoruba philosophy in the running of global development.”

Youruba Students Association in Egypt, according to Bolajoko is a training ground for preparing potential personalities towards taking active part in student unionism in Egypt and association has produced viable leaders who are taking up the role of ensuring conduct of free and fair elections and have also taken part in Arab league conference where its members have held vital portfolios.

The Association announced that it had adopted Osun anthem as its official anthem which would henceforth be sung in all its programmes and functions in Egypt.

In his acceptance remark, Governor Aregbesola states that he was elated and impressed with the award conferred on him, adding that he would continue to promote the cultural heritage of the Yoruba globally .

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