Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has asked youths to reject the toga of leaders of tomorrow, saying the youths are already the leaders of today.

Obasanjo made this call at a Presidential Youth Retreat,themed “Contributing to the Green Economy,” held at the Youth Development Centre in Abeokuta on Monday.

He asked youths to go all out to remove any barrier that could hinder them from demonstrating their leadership capacity.

The former president also urged Nigerian youths to champion the campaign against climate change and push for a green economy.

Obasanjo noted that the adverse effects of climate change caused by emissions of carbon dioxide, such as the resultant abnormal weather conditions, extreme temperatures, flooding, and drought, among others, call for concerns and require the joint efforts of all to halt this disturbing trend.

He said, “Climate change is a reality, though some still believe it is a myth or not real, but we have seen it in floods, droughts, and extreme weather conditions, among others.

“The scientists have helped us to understand that man has abused the balance of all that God created—the forest, the hills, valleys, and animals, among others—to the extent that there is now an imbalance.

“And it is we that caused the imbalance that will also be victims of these consequences, like the sea level rising, victims of floods, drought, extreme weather conditions, and, of course, change in climate and food insecurity, among others.”

Obasanjo noted that the way to fight climate change is to embrace a green economy, which encompasses all efforts to generate less carbon and absorb more of it through green vegetation.(Vanguard)