Nigerian youths have been asked to serve their country with zeal and diligence first before making demands of it.
The Minister of State for Environment and Ecological Management, Dr. Iziaq Kunle stated this at the 2023 Ayetoro-Yewa Day held at Ayetoro, his hometown in Yewa North local government area of Ogun state.
Salako, a former Ogun State Commissioner for Health, said as a youth, “If you serve your land, your land will serve you.”
He was honoured at the event for his appointment as the first Minister to emerge from the Yewa region of the state since 1999.
The Minister in his speech noted that young people in Nigeria must not only dedicate themselves to working for the prosperity of their nation but also reject any actions that undermine its peace and unity.
“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 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,” the Minister said.
He gave the assurance that Ogun State, like other regions of the nation, will receive top priority attention from the Federal Ministry of Environment and the Federal government.
The ceremony saw the establishment of a N500 million endowment fund for the development of Aiyetoro town.
Among those in attendance were Hon. Gboyega Nasir Isiaka, a member of the House of Representatives, Oba Azeez Adelakun, the Alaye of Ayetoro, the Secretary to the Ogun State Government, and the Minister of the Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal.
