From Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
To overcome the present economic challenge facing the country, parents have been urged to look towards giving their children skills that can make them self sufficient.
The Coordinator, Artisan Workers Union in Osun state, Comrade Adedokun Waheed gave the assertion during the second edition of an award programme organized by The Gold Magazine in collaboration with Network of Professional Media Practitioners.
He noted that both federal and state governments are not giving out jobs again, hence, the need for youths to go back to skills that can make them useful for themselves and the society at large.
He urged parents to stop believing that if their children are not employed by government, they can not make it in life.
“it is good to have basic knowledge, instead of spending so much time and money in school, a child should have a skill to fall back to when the chips are down.
“So many artisans are making it in their various fields, they command respect from both educated and non-educated in the society because they can rub soldiers with them when it comes to finances.
“Too much focus on education is part of the problems our society is facing now. Youths do not believe in hardwork again, they just want to sit under the Air Conditioner and be receiving salary, when such is not forthcoming, they turn themselves to another thing to the detriment of our society.
One of the guest speakers at the occasion, Dr Jimoh Olorede of the Department of Mass Communication, Federal Polytechnic Offa, who spoke on the topic ‘He who cherishes gold should be recipient of gold’, congratulated the award recipients who he described as the ‘finest’ of their kind.
Also speaking, one of the organisers, Bosun Oyedele, said the award recipients were carefully selected based on their positive contributions to the society at large in their various spheres of influence.
Some of the awardees at the event were Oba Hammed Adekunle Oyelude Makama Tegbosun 111, the Olowu of Owu Kuta, Oba Kamorudeen Adeyanju Adeyemi, Alawode 1V, the Olororuwo of Ororuwo, Alh.Aare (Dr) Kabir Adeoye Ashipa, Arch.Chief (Dr) Titus Bamidele Ojo, Alhaja Mulikat Lade Adegoke, Chief Fakayode Faniyi, the Agbongbon Awo of Osogbo land, Hon. Engr Abdulramon Olalekan Badmus (Omo Oloore), the Executive Director, Marine and Operations.
Others inincluded Oba Oladele Tosin Femi, Oba Ere Onisaworo Ide Agbaye, HSM, Obakunrin Adegboyega Owolabi Sangolade, Oba Adimula Onisaworo Ide Agbaye, Yeye Oba, Chief Osunkemi Egbetunmise Ifatosin Ariyehun, Onisaworo Ide Agbaye, Dr Ademola Bayonle (DAB Foundation), Hon. Abosede Ogo Oluwa Kasumu (KAS Foundation), Pastor Dr Taiwo Adegbemiga Adelawon (Trose Foundation), His Eminence, Dr Ifasooto Adegboyega Oluwo, Olu Ogboni Agbaye, His Eminence, Dr Ifasola Olayinka, Olori Oluwo Abuja, Aare Isese Abuja, HSM. Dr Zakariyau Okunlola, Apesin Worldwide.
Also on the list were Ogunwale Ifadayo Olaide, Asiwaju Aare Obarisa, Osun State, Akogun Taiwo Ifatayo, President Aragbelaye Worldwide, Mr AbdulJeleel Raheem OlaOluwa, Asst. Pastor (Mrs) Keji Opayemi, Comrade Waheed Adedokun, Chief Adebanji OsunSeun Florence, Alhaji Tajudeen Lawal  Labuada, Immam Abdulramon Makinde, Immam Akinpelu Yinusa, and Alhaji Chief Kamorudeen Adekunle Yusuf (Efe).