Former
Presidential Affairs Minister and International Speaker, Momodou Sabally, has
called on young people to develop the right positive mindsets so that they can
use technology productively to the benefit of their communities and the nation
at large.
Sabally
made these remarks, February 20, at the American International University West
Africa, where he was guest speaker alongside National Assembly Members
Honourable Madi Ceesay and Honourable
Halifa Sallah. The occasion marked the official handing over of the leadership
of the university’s student union from the outgoing executive to the newly
elected team.
Sabally
commended the students for showing the nation a bright example in the matter of
responsible governance and hitch-free transfer of power.
Speaking
on the topic “Prospects and challenges of young people in the changing face of
technology” Sabally asserted “Like fire, technology is a good servant but bad
master. What will it constitute for you? ‘Dess na si yow!’ Are you gonna use
technology to fan the flames of hatred and tribalism or love and unity?
“Are
you gonna use technology to spy on people and share nude pictures and hate
speech or are you gonna use that mobile phone to help monitor the whether for
farmers or help check the blood pressure of your patients?
“The
power of technology can help us leapfrog the development process but that can
only happen if you, the young people, decide to build informed and positive
mindsets as opposed to trivial and superficial mindsets, competing in the
number of Facebook likes and which version of camera 360 you should use to
enhance your profile pictures.
“We
are in the era of #coding and that is a huge opportunity for you, the young
ones, to use your creative energy to come up with tech solutions that will be
of benefit to your communities and nations. But your coding skills, like tech
itself, could be a good servant or a bad master...
“And
that is why when I spoke at the Confederation of West African Youths’ youth
forum in Freetown on this subject, I asserted that before we teach our youths
the science of coding, we must make sure we give the the right code of conduct.
“The
technology that gave us the computer, is the same knowledge that gave us the
atomic bomb. Let us build the right mindsets for our skillsets to be of benefit
and not harm to our societies.”
Sabally
also advised the students to spend more of their time in study and
introspection, “What You the youths need to do is to be a bit more quiet; read
extensively and intensively; search for meaning and learn to be authentic in
what you think, do and say; this is what will move your lives forward and the
country upwards.”
