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King Bubaraye Dakolo, of Ekpetiama Kingdom in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State on Tuesday began a mentorship programme to encourage youths to hard work and embrace environmental consciousness.
The mentorship programme is in collaboration with Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), an environmental-rights focused non-governmental organisation.
The mentorship scheme involved selected youths drawn from oil bearing communities across Bayelsa spend time interacting with Dakolo in his palace.
The aim, according to the organisers was to get youths draw inspiration from the accomplishments of the monarch and seek wisdom from the wise and get prepared for leadership positions in the future.
Interacting with the youths, Dakolo, the Agada the IV, of Ekpetiama Kingdom, expressed satisfaction with the idea of young people seeking knowledge and wisdom from the wise.
He said that the kingdom is an old one, that has existed before slave trade, palm oil trade, groundnut trade amongst others.
He explained that Mongo Park, Lord Frederick Lugard, all passed and visited the kingdom, a development that exposed his subjects early to foreign languages.
The king appealed to young people to embrace education, and also devote their time to learning something new every day of their lives.
He urged young people to always maximise their time, in all they do as well as being orderly in their youthful age.
Dakolo, urged them to always take seriously whatever that has to do with oil and gas, and the environment.
He noted that oil deposit is supposed to be a blessing but unmitigated pollution has left a bitter experience, and challenged them to study and provide a solution to the challenges posed by oil and gas exploration and production.
He said that young people must always endeavour to ask questions to be better than the older generation that did not bother to ask questions about their environment.
The monarch who is also chairman, Bayelsa Traditional Rulers Council, urged the youths to always have a purpose and idea of what they want to study in school, and discuss with their parents before obtaining their JAMB forms.
In his remarks, Dr Nnimmo Bassey, a renowned environmentalist and the director, HOMEF said the visit was to tap wisdom from the wise, so as to enlighten the young scholars.
“We came with young people because education is a very strong tool, for the growth of young people.
“We are here to learn from the wise on things that are of natural value to human nature, things like climate change, amongst others.
“Also to get the right knowledge, not the wrong one, but the one that will take young people far in life,” he said.
Bassey noted that things are changing rapidly in the world today, adding that so many people are seeking for knowledge and information from the media.
He also commended the king on his emergence as the chairman of Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers Council.
Bassey observed that Dakolo is endowed with all the leadership qualities to transform and uplift the traditional institution in Bayelsa.
