By Samuel Ogude
Value Rebirth Centre –Leadership School, Delta Study Centre has organized its 6th graduation and 7th matriculation ceremony in gland style. The programme which took place over the weekend at De –Ellis Event Centre in Udu , Udu Local Government Area of the state attracted dignitaries from all walks of life.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Executive Director of Value Rebirth and Empowerment Initiative Amb.(Pastor) Edewor Egedegbe said the leadership school came into existence since 10th June 2017, first ever in its kind in South-South (Niger Delta Region) with the aim of training leaders by attempting to unravel the complexity of leadership and give framework that would help people to focus on leader and leadership development. According to him, so far, the foundation has trained over 515 persons and still training more to man leadership especially in Niger Delta which has the dearth of leaders.
According to him, Value Rebirth and Empowerment Initiative is a non-governmental, non- partisan organization established in 2014 according to Nigeria law with the mandate to rebuild the old waste places, raise up foundation for many generations through advocacy adding, that the vision is Nigeria society with value driven citizens’ capacity, value re-orientation to ensure accountability in governance to serve humanity.
He said, Value Rebirth and Empowerment Initiative in partnership with the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development Centre (LSD) Abuja, are meant to empower the minds and hands of participants that are admitted into the institute to be trained for a period of one year and be certified by the centre after meeting all criteria.
According to him, the ideal of the Delta Study Centre of the Leadership School was borne after the realization to take Niger Delta region to where it ought to be adding, there was need for leaders and youths across the region to be trained to enable them understand their God- given potentials, discover and develop same by exercising such potentials to the benefit of mankind.
His words:”They (Niger Deltans) need to be guided to clearly understand that they are seeds for greatness that must be sown at any given opportunity. They need to sharpen their skills, seek opportunity for training such as this, get mentorship, remain committed and handle skills/ potentials extra- ordinarily”.
Amb.(Pastor) Egedegbe who said the school runs tuition free for one year and the graduation /matriculation ceremony holds month of August every year said, the demand for the leadership school admission is now high as the school has recorded over 300 applications and admission has been offered to 220 students for lack of space for the next leadership academic sessions(2023/2024) as they have facilitators and resource persons across Nigeria that are involved in the training and the leadership at the Centre-LSD and Shamar Educational Foundation. He therefore urged those who are yet to identify with the institution to do so without delay.
While congratulating the graduands for their successful completion of the programme,he charged them to be good ambassadors of the institution just as he charged the newly matriculated students to take their studies seriously for them to successfully complete the programme.
In an interview, the Executive Director, African Centre For Leadership, Strategy and Development(Centre LSD), Monday Ossah said Nigeria is not making the desired progress because of the challenges of leadership. According to him, the leaders without vision can not lead the country to the promise land. He said, the government of today is doing well in terms of leadership adding, one of the qualities of leader is courage as any leader swayed by emotions can not lead.
His words:” As a leader, you must have courage, if you are not careful and you are controlled by your emotions, that can destroy your leadership”.
According to him, to have good leadership right, citizens must participate actively in the entire process, saying, if these things are in place, Nigeria would make the desired progress. He said the media should also play their role adding, the media need to let the public know the lecture of the day as that would help to advertise the institution for people to be aware.
The high point of the programme was the presentation of certificate to the graduands, the administration of matriculation oath on the newly admitted students and the presentation of awards to deserving graduands and other personalities amidst cheers.