..attends LEADS 2022 Awards
Wife of the Governor of Ondo State, Chief Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, has implored the younger generation of Nigerians to endure difficult situations and be determined to succeed in their endeavours, by setting goals.
Speaking as a guest lecturer at the maiden edition of Leadership Excellence And Dignity (LEADS)Awards 2022, themed: ‘Rewarding Tenacity ‘, held at the Dome Akure, the State Capital, Mrs Akeredolu called for attitudinal change in not being perseverance and enduring hardships, which, according to her contributed to the ills in the society.
In her speech titled: ” Rewarding Tenacity: An Example for the Next Generation”, she maintained that “For any man or woman to grow from nothingness to consequence, the firmness of mind and strong will to follow through a difficult path, even when things look bleak, is essential “.
The Ondo First Lady continued that to be tenacious is to have the mental and moral strength to resist ‘short cuts’ and endure hardship for a worthy eventuality.
She described tenacity as a great quality an individual must possess to attain greater heights in life.
While encouraging the younger generation of Nigerians to set goals for themselves, as she acknowledged that the country is blessed with incredible youthful talents, Mrs. Akeredolu charged them to focus on the future rewards of hardwork, rather than seeking shortcuts to success that has short-term gain.
Her words: ” I stand before you today as a typical example of Nigerian from a humble background who endured all sorts of temptations and distractions to come this far. My background, training, marriage and attainments are all evident products of Tenacity.
“Absence of Tenacity in the younger generation of Nigerians forms part of the problem we battle as a people.
“Of the prized value system that the society seems to have lost, delayed gratification ranks high. By delayed gratification, I mean the ability to suspend the desire for immediate gain in favour of later and greater reward. This value, great as it is, has become virtually non-existent, and its absence, a threat”.
The Ondo Governor’s Wife, while quoting the words of a famous American polymath writer Benjamin Franklin “Haste makes waste”, decried the ills in the society caused by haste, and enjoined young Nigerians to imbibe tenacity by showing capacity for endurance and consistency in order to revive the country.
At the event, the Director General of the Performance and Project Implementation Monitoring Unit(PPIMU), Engr. Babajide Akeredolu, bagged the man of the year award, while the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice was also honoured as the legal icon of the year; Ceci Supermarket bagged the supermarket of the year in Ondo State, among others.
Mary Agidi
Special Assistant to the Governor on Media (Office of the First Lady)
November 27th, 2022
JATS Online News 