A former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has challenged street boys, popularly known as area boys, to rediscover themselves, do what is right and be diligent in their daily activities.
He said this during a mentoring session with the “area boys and girls” at his penthouse residence on the premises of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The session was facilitated by a renowned female talking drummer, Aralola Olamuyiwa, through a project tagged: “Eko Inspire Me”, with the support of the Lagos State Government.
Obasanjo told them how he faced tough challenges at different times before getting to the top.
He said, “God has not created you as street boys and street girls. That’s the first thing.
“Secondly, as we have heard from you, you also know when something snaps in your lives and what goes wrong. So, the process of rediscovering yourselves has started with yourselves.”
While thanking Gov Babajide Sanwo-Olu for supporting the project, Olamuyiwa said, “We hope we will be able to take them off the streets. We also want to engage and empower them.”
One of the mentees, Precilia Ogba, said, “I did not believe that I was going to set my eyes on our former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. Even taking a picture with him is a privilege and a miracle.”
Another mentee, Olayinka Akala, said, “All these atrocities and rugged attitudes will be stopped by God’s grace.”
