The Minister of State for Environment and Ecological Management, Kunle Salako, a Physician, has appealed to Nigerian youths to be more concerned about serving the country first before expecting much from it.
Salako urged the youths to get involved in nation building projects and diligently and passionately serve where ever they find themselves, explaining that, it is only the service to one’s nation that prosperity and wealth of a country its people can manifest.
The Minister gave the advice at the 2023 Ayetoro-Yewa Day at the weekend in Ayetoro, Yewa North Local government area of Ogun state which had in attendance the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, the Secretary to the Ogun State Government, Tokunbo Talabi, member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Gboyega Nasir Isiaka and the Alaye of Ayetoro, Oba Azeez Adelakun, among others.
The people also used the occasion to launch N500million endowment fund for the development of Aiyetoro town.
Salako hails from Ayetoro and was also honoured by his people at the event for being the first Minister to emerge from Yewa extraction of the state since the return of democracy in 1999.
The Minister said, “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”.
He assured that Ogun state, just like other parts of the country will enjoy the priority attention of the Federal government and that of the Federal Ministry of Environment.
“I want to assure you that our infrastructure and our human capital development, our holistic development will move to the next level,” Salako said.
