By Felix Khanoba
The Vice Chancellor of Bayelsa Medical University, Prof. Ebitimitula Etebu, has urged youths in the state to focus on science and technology so as to maximise their contributions to national development.
Etebu gave the advice in Yenagoa on Saturday, at a one-day programme on Democracy Day Celebration and emerging leaders conference with the theme: “The role of science, communication and technology on youth development.”
“Bayelsa youths should dedicate their minds to science and technology as the way forward that will enable them to become useful to society.
“I urge you people to work hard and not always wanting to take a short cut, which can never be good for the society at large,” he stated.
The vice chancellor said that no society could develop without the involvement of the youths and this explained the establishment of a medical university by the Bayelsa government to train youths in the medical field.
“We are training doctors, nurses, laboratory scientists, dental technologists, physiotherapists and community health practitioners,’’ he said.
In his paper, Mr Elvis Donkemezuo, Chairman, Bayelsa State Business Council, noted that science, communication and technology had to do with innovation and the use of science and technology to grow the society.
According to him, most of the world’s richest people started as youths and succeeded through science and technology, as such youths should seize on the opportunity to get involved in science and technology.
He also advised the youths to pursue ICT training to acquire more knowledge for the future.
Mr Atti Moses, Special Assistant on Students’ Affairs to Gov. Douye Diri, advised the youths to embrace science and technology for innovation development, describing the emerging leaders conference as an annual event aimed at building the intellectual capacity of students and youths.
He said that the maiden edition was held in 2018, but was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
“We waited until 2021 when more preventive and control measures were put in place by the Federal Ministry of Health and donors,” he said.
The governor’s aide urged the youths to venture into meaningful activities that would improve their future as leaders, saying that they should also always ‘think out of the box’ for the advancement of society and mankind.
