Nigerians have been called upon to imbibe the spirit of Change Begins With Me to enable them make positive impacts and bring about the much needed positive changes in the country despite the economic recession. This patriotic call was the core of the lecture delivered by the Acting State Director of National Orientation Agency, Kwara State directorate , Mr Olusegun Adeyemi JP at the 6th annual lecture of Self-Reliance Economic Advancement Programme (SEAP) organized in celebration of the 52nd birthday of Her Executive Programmes Director, Pastor Dr. Oladokun Olatunde (JP) at the SEAP Palace of praise, Ilorin, on 6th February,2017.
While delivering his lecture, with the title the role of Nigerians in the federal government’s change begins with me campaign, Mr Olusegun Adeyemi noted that since the official flag-off of the ‘Change Begins With Me’ Campaign by President Muhammad Buhari, a barrage of criticisms and cynicism have come in from various quarters on the suitability or otherwise of the attitudinal change campaign with very many people asking the government to change first before citizens can be asked to change. He explained that the campaign is a clarion call for action and that the personal pronoun me could be anybody beginning with those who conceived the notion and to whom it may concern. He concluded the lecture by asking citizens to realize that the change they want to see begins with them and that personal and social reforms are not theoretic exercise. The NOA Director left the audience with an extract of President Buhari’s words where he said “If you have not seen the change in you, you cannot see it in others or even the larger society. In other words, before you ask ‘where is the change they promised us’, you must first ask how far have I changed my ways? ‘what have I done to be part of the change for the greater good of society?
The programme under the distinguished Chairmanship of Rtd. Justice Mustapha Akanbi ably represented by Alhaji Abdulfatah Bello was graced by Her Excellency, the wife of the Kwara State Governor, Deaconess Omolewa Ahmed. Other guest speakers at the epoch making event were Justice Dimeji Ishola( Federal High Court, Oyo State),Barrister Issa Mahmud( NBA Chairman Kwara State Chapter), Pastor Mohammed Ali (General Overseer of Christ Assembly). Other dignitaries in attendance were Mr Adeyemi Arulogun (NTA Ilorin General Manager), representatives of Commercial banks, MFBs, Nigeria Prisons Services, Nigeria Police, Federal Road Safety Corps, Civil Societies, NGOs, NDLEA, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, NIM, Chief Medical Director University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital and the media.