It is said that the youths of today are the leaders of tomorrow. And in the current dispensation, communities in Gbaramatu Kingdom in the Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, are currently seeing a new wave of young leadership taking over the helms of affairs of the oil-rich and popular Ijaw kingdom in the Niger Delta region.

Of recent, Kokodiagbene community has joined this fray with the emergence of the nine-member Comrade Ark Selegha-led executive council of Kokodiagbene who  were successfully sworn into office for a single tenure of four years on Monday, January 13, 2025, all in their youthful prime.

Other members are Paul Diwere (Vice Chairman), Gabriel Ukuli (Secretary), Engr. Johnson Powede (Public Relations Officer), Nani Mala (Financial Secretary), Maxwell Obode (Assistant Financial Secretary), John Arukarawei (Assistant Secretary), Tima Igedo (Treasurer) and Jerry Ari (Provost).

This recent development of youthful leadership is commendable and it is hoped it will make for positive developments of Gbaramatu communities. This is because the youths have to their advantage strength and are known to be flexible as well as drivers of innovative change in tune with the latest trend in society and the global stage.

However, on the down side, plaguing the youths are acts of impatience, pride, arrogance; the lack of practical experience and the watering down of excellence or honourable acts as exemplified in the get-rich-quick syndrome of the times. But the place of community elders should serve as a mechanism to not only help in taming these ill vices by their serving as counsellors and in demonstrating leadership by examples laced with integrity and godliness.

Another more important aspect that youthful leadership should give more preference to is in exercising their flexibility by thinking out of the box in order to proffer strategic solutions to challenges facing their jurisdiction so as to meet with and/or surpass the expectations of stakeholders.

And so, for the Comrade Ark Selegha-led executive council of Kokodiagbene community, their emergence should be seen as an opportunity to serve, and not for propagating selfish interests; as an opportunity to prove that youthful leadership is beneficial and progressive in nature as against stagnancy.

Lastly, room should be given to members to function in their office at maximum capacity. The era of the non-functionality and/or the sidelining of certain members or office should not be encouraged as each office is supposed to complement the others as a form of the division of labour.

As the Kokodiagbene community executives join the fray of youthful leadership, the youths look up ahead with purposeful expectations in eagerness to witness the continuous transformation of the oil-rich community which of recent is gradually wearing a new look that defies its long years of stagnancy.

Now that the party (swearing-in and inauguration) is over, it is time for work, and the executive council should take the lead to get all hands on deck in its strategic advocacy for collective participation. The clock has started ticking; any time lost is wasted opportunity. Starting early means ending well.

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