Youths call for discipline
Press statement delivered by the National Youth Secretary of APC on 14th January 2014 at the APC Headquarters 11a Old Railway Line Brookfields
Mr. Chairman, the Presidential Youth Aide, members of the high table, members of the Fourth Estate, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, the APC National Youth League has called this press conference to endorse the statement of His Excellency the President Comrade Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma against lawlessness and indiscipline especially amongst us the youths and by extension the nation as a whole.
Indeed, it is incumbent on all youth of our beloved nation to make it an obligation to usher in 2014 with law abiding attitudes. We are constitutionally obliged by the 1991 Constitution to ‘cultivate a sense of nationalism and patriotism so that loyalty to the state shall override sectional, ethnic, tribal or other loyalties (Constitution 1991, 13(b)).
We are also required by our Constitution to render assistance to appropriate and lawful agencies in the maintenance of law and order’. The need for us to respect and collaborate with the lawful dispensations could not be overemphasized.
Fellow youth the President in his address at the state opening of the First Session of the Fourth Parliament of the Second Republic of Sierra Leone on the 14th December, 2012 acknowledged the support of young people during the elections campaign, and as a grateful president he re-affirmed the covenant between himself and youths of this country. As a symbolic move of appreciation, he dedicated his life to our service; he submitted his administration to our participation and the economy to our employment. He further pledged the resources of our nation to the education, acquisition of appropriate skills and advancement of youth.
However, opportunities equally carry responsibilities to balance the political equation. The President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma also challenged us that ‘…I know many youths want more. But to get more, you have to do more, you have to be more disciplined than your colleague; you have to respect the law, you have to respect your teacher, you have to respect your boss, you have to be ready to get new skills…’
The president has abundantly stated that it is his conviction that until his government develops the capacity of youths there would be no addition to the economic growth of our nation. Attitude is everything!
Against that backdrop, the President in his state opening address on December 2013, he reiterated his commitment to the youths of this country. Though he has established a separate ministry of youth, a youth commission and a Presidential Youth Aide, yet he promised to do more for young people regardless of your ethnicity, creed, region or political affiliation.
This Government, I must hasten to pronounce has done more with youths and for youths as compared to any other government of our time.
Colleague youths, the APC Government under the indefatigable leadership of President Koroma has created a space for youths, and has asked us to seize this moment and join him in the transformation of our nation to prosperity. Therefore, he says ‘no one should stand on our way as we navigate to the Agenda for Prosperity.
We as youth of the APC Party, regardless of our political affiliation, have the elephant task to reassert those values that once made Sierra Leone a pioneer in many fields of endeavours along the West Coast of Africa. Sierra Leone can only move forward when its youths move forward as we are the foundation on which development could be built.
At this juncture, the APC National Youth League condemns lawlessness and indiscipline among youths in totality. Therefore, we must match up to the task, and take personal responsibility of our destiny. We cannot change the season, or the wind but we can change the course of our destiny. Success does not come by accident neither failure, we are what we choose to be, if we want to be successful young people, let us emulate the examples of successful people. The Holy Bible in the Old Testament says you reap what you sow and you cannot sow rice seedling and expect to reap maize. Development and Discipline are two sides of the same coin, without discipline development is not sustainable.
Fellow youths, this is a new dawn and we cannot afford to continue in the past abysmal exhibition of hooliganism and lawlessness. Our future is now, and we have all the opportunities to achieve our dreams under the patriotic, magnanimous and astute leadership of President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma. Together we can – and must do better. Our people and our future depend on us.
I want us all to understand that the greatest revolution of our generation is the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.
Finally, the APC National Youth League wants to admonish all youths to refrain from violence, and any form of anti-social behaviour that has the proclivity to create rancour or pandemonium that would threaten our hard won peace.
In conclusion, as stated by HE comrade Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, we as young people of APC must declare 2014 a year of Goodwill and must fully join him to dismantle the Networks of lawlessness and indiscipline
Long Live the APC Party
Long live our Chairman and Leader Comrade Dr Ernest Bai Koroma
Long Live the APC National Youth League
God bless u all
APC National Youth League, Freetown, Sierra Leone
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