2024 Apostolic Round Table (ART), the brainchild of the Convener, Apostle Dr Bolaji O. Akinyemi just held recently in lagos.
Akinyemi in his Convener speech stressed that the subject of this year’s ART, which held at Wisdom Arena, 291 Old Abeokuta Road, Agege, Lagos, was “intentional and deliberate” to draw action plans to make this year count “for us as individual citizens and collectively as a nation or continent.”
He recalled that during the electioneering campaign, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu made many gaffes, one of which was recruiting 50 million youths into the Army to end the fight against terrorism.
Akinyemi stressed that on the surface, statistically, the President seemed ‘wrong’, however adding, “Discerning and probing this philosophy, we are convinced it is workable and we are inviting you to join hands with us to make it work for us.
“In need of urgent employment is our idling workforce which cannot be less than 50 million youths.
“The database of the population to determine what 7.2% of those aged 15-24 years and 4.2% of the labour force participation rate represents is not provided by the news story on Nigeria Bureau of Statistics Website.
“However, the 50 million Youths referenced by PBAT would be used to demonstrate how to deploy knowledge, understanding and wisdom, using ‘agbado economy’ to create wealth.
“The fight against terrorism is first against poverty, hunger and illiteracy. The constituency provides an army of youth who are deceived in ignorance into believing they are fighting to advance their tribes or religions.
“Truth be told, our experience with the triplets of our unfortunate confrontation viz poverty, hunger and illiteracy, is nothing short of war!”
He admitted that nothing much could be achieved without a constitutional reform which would provide the legal framework for the battle and would enforce the rules of engagement for the war.
“Poverty of course has assumed a full-scale war in Nigeria, with 135 million people captured to its side as prisoners of war,” he added.
The conference had a rich and robust faculty during the panel Session who dissected the topic to forge a way forward for the nation’s economy.
They include Prof Eunice Egbuna, Mr Jubrin Musa and Mr Peter Okafor, experts in Monetary Policy Formulation and Implementation.
Also included is Pastor Fisayo Awogbade, the immediate-past Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of Chartered Institute for Taxation of Nigeria (CITN).
Others, included Dr Haggai Haruna Gutap, a development economist; Mr Jiti Ogunye, a legal expert; Professor Funmi Adesanya-Davies, a communication teacher, and Pastor Gboyega Johnson, as well as other eminent church leaders.
They inspired hope in the hearts of the large crowd who gathered from different parts of the country. Many of the guests who spoke with press men after the event appreciated the Convener Apostle Dr Bolaji O. Akinyemi and his team for a well packaged strategic conference.