Agency Reporter

Former Sole Administrator of Agege Local Government Area of Lagos State, Hon. Olugbenga Abiola has called on youths across the country to come together in one voice with an ideology that would ensure their quality representation at all available opportunities both locally and globally.

Speaking on the occasion of the world’s International Youth Day, Abiola who holds the record of the youngest council boss in the current dispensation in Lagos State, having assumed the position at the age of 28, noted that the time has come when youth representatives, organizations, structures and associations should come together for a common vision, goal , purpose and definition.

He noted that the theme of this year’s International Youth Day 2020, “Youth Engagement for Global Action” seeks to highlight the ways in which the engagement of young people at the local, national and global levels is enriching national and multilateral institutions and processes, as well as draw lessons on how their representation and engagement in formal institutional politics can be significantly enhanced.

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He said, “My Message is simple and clear. A day and time when youth representatives, organizations, structures and associations will come together for a common vision, goal , purpose and definition. Then, we can as one body sell to the decision makers and leaders an ideology that can affect that average youth financially, materially , economically, socially and most importantly psychologically.

“A day when every Nigerian youth will speak the same language from different tribes and organization. A day when the vision of youth activism will be returned to its original drive to speak, fight and account on behalf of the weak and defenseless youth.

“I crave for a day when a young, vibrant youth with ideas and talent can walk into the bank and easily secure a soft loan to drive a small business and grow it to become an employer of labour, a day when the less privileged youth can secure study loans, a day when farm lands can be given for free, a day when the disabled youths can be placed on monthly stipends, a day when scholarships will be for the very many who deserves it.

“I pray and seek for a voice spoken in one accord to erase and dislodge the gun power in front of us where over tens of decades have come by with all tertiary institutions producing a chunk of graduate in hundreds of thousands to join the already congested labour market.

“We can as one under clog of voices bring forth initiatives that can create a workable ideology for the average Nigerian youth. Together we can make it work … Together it will surely work,” he said.