… advocates massive youth participation in politics, governance
The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, Ismail Omipidan on Saturday reiterated that the current Administration will continue to champion the cause of the citizens, particularly the youth.
He said the Administration has demonstrated rare capacity at discovering the untapped potential in the youths, harnessing it for maximum advantage and collective productivity with a multiplier effect to ensure a steady economy in the State.
This, he said, has brought about the noble conceptualisation of Youth Policy Document christened the 4Es –Youth Education, Youth Engagement, Youth Empowerment and Youth Entrepreneurship — that advocates the necessity to change the narrative and champion the needs of the youth.
Omipidan stated these while lending his voice at a lecture put together by the Non-Governmental Organisation, Raising New Voices, in collaboration with FriedRich Ebert Stiftung, at GMT Hotel, Osogbo, to mark the closing of this year’s Fellowship Programme.
The Governor’s spokesman noted that the Administration has been striving hard to right the wrongs by ensuring full involvement of youths in running the affairs of the State.
Omipidan, who was one of the panelists at the seminar, said the Administration of his Principal was ever-resilient to take the bull by the horns to effect necessary change and build an army of responsible and productive youths in the efforts to collectively take the State to the next level.
“As far the the current Administration is concerned, we have demonstrated that we are indeed for Youth Education, Youth Engagement, Youth Empowerment, Youth Entrepreneurship.
“We have Commissioners in the cabinet that are less than 40. We have a lot of Youths in government, particularly at the Local Government, where they constitute about 50 percent of those manning the councils at that level. We are out for youth inclusiveness in government and governance”, he added.
Speaking on the theme of the programme, “Youth Leadership, Youth Inclusion and Nigerian Politics”, Omipidan said the time had come for Nigerian youths to take their rightful position to transform the country.
According to him, efforts must be geared towards encouraging massive youth participation in politics and youth inclusion in governance as panacea for socioeconomic, political and democratic renaissance.
He spoke further, “As for us as youths, we must make conscious efforts to develop ourselves by learning skills and competencies. We should not behave like those that we are condemning today who do not have a second address.
“We must also divert some of our energies on social media to take part in active politics. We must learn how to engage and lobby in politics.
“I believe very strongly that there is hope in this country and the hope lies in our hands. We must go and join a political party in our various domains.
“I am not a politician, but a professional in politics. We must not leave politics to those that called themselves professional politicians because if we do, they will destroy it for us. We must get involved in politics. Politics is too serious a business to be left in the hands of those without a second address. If we don’t participate, there is no way to effect the desired change we are all clamouring for.”
