Jibunoh, Cole, others urge youths to be patriotic

The need to inculcate the spirit of patriotism among Nigerian youths was the main focus at 2016 We Are The Future of Our Nation (WATFON) held at Oregun, Lagos. Chairman of the event, Sir Newton Jibunoh in an interactive session with the students said, “Patriotism is the vigorous support for one’s country”.

Jibunoh made the student to understand that two symbols depict patriotism, namely a country’s national flag and the national anthem,” saying they connote the independence of a country.

According to him: “In portrayal of patriotism, countries would sound the bell from churches, make a call for prayers from the mosque and blow the beagles at 6 am to hoist and lower the national flags. These are traditions enforced because of the belief in different institutions. Do we wait for the country to make us patriotic citizens or do we do things for the country that will make us patriotic?”

He, therefore, urged the students not to wait for the country to make them patriotic citizens, rather they should do things for the country that will make them patriotic.

He enjoined the students to always be proud of their country and be patriotic citizens, add, “Each and everyone of us makes up Nigeria and she will only become the country of our dreams when we all collectively contribute to doing something for her”.

The host and Managing Director, Edumark Consult, Mrs. Yinka Ogunde, said, “The initiative is a continuous effort which aim is to achieve the goals of raising patriotic Nigerian students by inculcating in them the zeal to make a better Nigeria. Our focus with WATFON is simple; we need to rouse a worthy successor generation. To do this effectively, we have realised that there is just so much that private individuals can do.

“We need our government to wake up to this task. The sustainability of our development as a nation depends upon what we do with this generation. I never stopped hoping that things would be better. I never stopped believing but I can only hope we would all wake up to see that we have no other country”

Wife of former Lagos State governor, Mrs. Abimbola Fashola who spoke on ‘Patriotism in Unknown Places,’ urged the students to always address themselves as leaders of today and not leaders of tomorrow.
She urged them to at all times “portray empathy.”