Serve Nigeria First, Before Demanding From It, Minister Charges Youths

Serve Nigeria First, Before Demanding From It,  Minister Charges Youths

The Minister of State for Environment and Ecological Management, Dr Iziaq Kunle Salako, has charged Nigerian youths to be more committed to serving the country before demanding from it.

The Minister gave the charge while speaking at the 2023 Ayetoro-Yewa Day held on Sunday in Ayetoro, Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State.

Salako, who hails from Ayetoro was also honoured at the event for his appointment as the first Minister to emerge from the Yewa Region of the state since 1999.

The Minister said the youths must engage in nation-building by serving the country diligently and passionately anywhere they find themselves, insisting that, it is only when the youths serve Nigeria that the country can serve them in return.

According to him, Nigerian youths must not only commit themselves to working for the success of the country but also shun every act destroying the unity and peace of Nigeria.

Salako insisted that, for Nigerians, particularly the youths to benefit from Nigeria, they must serve the country before demanding anything in return.

The Minister said, “If you serve your land, your land will serve you. It is like a farmer, if you do not till the land, if you do not plant produce, there is no way you can harvest anything.

“What we are celebrating today is a testimony that if you serve your land, your land will serve you. Everywhere I go, I always take it as a responsibility to serve my land and I’m happy today that my land is serving me.

“My admonition, particularly to the younger ones, let us believe in serving our land first, let us serve Nigeria first before we demand of Nigeria, let us serve Ogun State first before we demand of the Ogun State, let us serve Ogun West first before we demand of Ogun West, let us serve Ayetoro first before we demand of Ayetoro.

“I have no doubt in my mind and I want to assure you that if you serve your land, your land will serve you”.

He assured that Ogun state, just like other parts of the country will enjoy the priority attention of the Federal government and that of the Federal Ministry of Environment.

“I want to assure you that our infrastructure and our human capital development, our holistic development will move to the next level”, Salako said.

The event witnessed the launching of N500 million endowment fund for the development of Aiyetoro town.

The event was attended by eminent Nigerians, including the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, the Secretary to the Ogun State Government, Tokunbo Talabi, member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Gboyega Nasir Isiaka and the Alaye of Ayetoro, Oba Azeez Adelakun, among others.