The Nation Newspaper

Tag: youths

  • Northern youths demand referendum for Igbo to go

    Leaders of the northern youth groups that  issued a three months ultimatum to Igbo yesterday called for the conduct of a referendum by the Federal government to enable Nigerians take a decision on whether the Igbo should be allowed to secede as being requested by separatist groups.

    The group spoke from hiding following Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s call for its members’ arrest.

    In the statement, the group lambasted the Chairman of the Northern States Governors Forum, Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima and El-Rufai for condemning their controversial statement and ordering the arrest of its signatories.

    Yesterday’s statement signed by Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, who signed the earlier statement, urged the Federal Government to urgently initiate the process for a peaceful referendum to allow the Igbo to go.

    The group however denied calling for violence in its initial quit notice.

    The statement said: “At the end, we came up with a position paper which we presented as the Kaduna Declaration in which we primarily called on the authorities and the international community to step in to formerlise the actualisation of the dream of a people who say in words and in action, and the whole nation appears to concur, that they are Biafrans, not Nigerians.

    “We further urged those Biafran nationales to relocate from the North to their newfound country in order to allow other people have peace. We are today compelled to make this further statement to clarify our stand on some issues that trailed the Kaduna Declaration made on Tuesday June 6, 2017.

    “After meeting to review the fallout of that Tuesday’s Declaration, our groups have noted hat some elements have for reasons best known to them, mischievously distorted the intent of our original script by alluding such words as ‘violence, ‘ ‘threat, ‘ ‘war’ and ‘mass action’ to it.

    “We find this mischievous because as cultured thoroughbred Northerners we have never anywhere and at anytime, under whatever circumstances, called anybody to violence as a means of conflict resolution.

    “In strict observance of that tradition we never employ violence as a means of pursuing our interest and, at every opportunity, we opt for peaceful engagements and implore people to eschew violence in all its ramifications.

    “This informs why, a majority of discerning Nigerians, not necessarily northerners alone, understood and identified with our express call for the Biafrans to be allowed to actualise their long-held secessionist aspiration.

    “We restate that we have never called anybody to violence and that people should discountenance the elements of fear and threat introduced by the distortions of merchants of mischief. We wholeheartedly endorse the moves made variously by our leaders to allay those fears and urge people to be peaceful and law-abiding while at the same time resolutely insisting on having the right thing done by allowing the Igbo to have and move to their dream country in accordance with the universal fundamental right to self-determination.

    “We restate our determination and commitment to ensuring that the North will never partake in any contrived arrangement that would still have the Biafran Igbo as a component. We reiterate our call on Nigerian authorities and recognized international bodies such as the ECOWAS, AU and UN to hasten the initiation of the process for the final actualization of the Biafran nation and with it the excision of the Igbos out of the present federation”.

  • Connecting youths to nature

    SIR: What if I told you that 80% of Nigerian youths lack a basic environmental education? What if I say that 70% of young people around the world do not care about the environment they live in? Yes!

    The bitter truth won’t be found in data logged on some computers or books stacked in libraries. The clear confirmations that we are far from nature stare at our faces: the gully erosion that swept a whole community recently, the daily depletion of the ozone layer and her cancerous effect, the air pollution that annually chokes millions of children to death around the world, the mindless exploitation of wildlife, and the list is endless.

    Indeed, we are disconnected from nature!

    Today, how many parents will have their kids tend a garden, prune a flower, plant a tree, go fishing in a local river, climb mountains, engage in environmental education or even at the least, take a long evening walk across the field?

    How many?

    Growing up I relished the moments we (children) spent in groups; gathering fruits, breaking dried nut, cutting grasses, catching grasshoppers, building mud houses with our foot, playing hide-and-seek game in banana plantations, dancing in the rain, ‘cooking’ with sand, used cans, green leafs, clay and pieces of rocks. That was what my generation enjoyed, the generation before mine enjoyed even more. Now, what will become of the next generation? How can they be made to connect with Nature?

    This time and age, we rather would turn on the Wi-Fi for them to ‘go live’ during a politician’s tree planting ceremony, we would rather encourage them to create a Whatsapp group with the name – SaveTheEarth, we would rather jump on the hashtag #WorldEnvironmentDay, and what have you. Great but not effective, there are better ways we can connect young people with nature.

    So much lies on the shoulders of people who understand what is at stake. Pro-environmental agencies and organizations in countries around the world would do the next generation a whole lot of good, if they can team up to toe the line of groups like America’s EarthCorps International Corps Program, 21st Century Conservation Service Corps, and others support programmes that creatively, patiently and effectively engage young people in environmental restoration activities that practically ‘connects’ them with nature.

    Environmental impact – positive or negative is not limited by boundaries. If you will help connect a young child with nature today, we can hope that it becomes a lifestyle for them, a culture that grows and sticks with the next generation – that alone is a great achievement.

    As we encourage ‘young’ people to connect with nature by participating in public readings, open mics, street walks, social media campaigns and other 21st century approaches that seek to promote the environment, we should often remind them that the effort to connect with nature is beyond chats, tweets and talks.

    We must strive to become more environmentally conscious; we must put into practice everything we can, gradually, till it becomes a habit. This will be realistic if we begin with the youths.

     

    • Adebote ‘Seyifunmi,

    Ibadan.

  • Be hardworking, youths told

    Bariga Local Council Development Area (LCDA) Sole Administrator Sanya Oshijo has urged youth to be hard working and honest.

    He spoke at an event organised by Bariga LCDA in CMS School complex, Bariga. The event featured march pass, choreography, fashion parade, dance competition, cultural display among primary and secondary schools pupils in the LCDA.

    Oshijo urged them to emulate Governor Akinwumi Ambode, saying the governor is an example of a man that has been honest and hard working from his young age.

    “Don’t settle for less, because this is the only way the society can benefit from you in the future. You need to be restive, purposeful and daring to be able to cope with the vicissitudes of life” he said.

    Oshijo noted that it was necessary to identify with children, saying they are future leaders.

    He advised them to strive to be outstanding among their peers.

     

  • Youths stake claim in leadership

    Youths stake claim in leadership

    Youths from Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Plateau, Niger, Nasarawa states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have stressed their desire to participate in the nation’s political process including running for office.

    The youths aged between 18 and 40 were speaking in Abuja on the platform of The Reformation, a new political group they formed.

    The founder of the group, Ahmed Buhari, who convened the meeting, said the purpose and message of the group was about making the Nigerian youth the central segment of the nation’s electoral process.

    As a result, the group is set to actively participate in the next general elections with a view of contesting at every level nationwide including the presidential poll.

    In his opening remarks, Buhari said it was time for the Nigerian youth to surmount all impediments and be in control of their future with a strong political influence.

    Buhari said youths have the advantage of number, adding, “The march has started but the point is how to get there.

    “As youths, we can come together and shun all those obstacles such as social status, ethnicity, nepotism, among several hindrances that won’t allow us get to the attainment of aspirations. We are here for a shared belief and if you look at some of us, we come from humble backgrounds but we are here today and it is not by allowing those mundane obstacles to get in our way”.

    Speaking further, Buhari said, “What we want Nigerians to know is that it is convenient for the old guard to justify themselves by showing the worst of the youths while displaying the best of the old guard. It is our duty to prove that the Nigerian youth is the solution to the plethora of challenges facing us as we are equipped and ready with fresher ideas and we have the global network to make this a reality. The power of network is the advantage of the Nigerian youth and that is the first step towards bringing to the table the solutions to the perennial problems of non-existent and decaying infrastructure, disgraceful health care service delivery, unbelievable power situation, among others.

    “Since the old guard has stolen our time, we won’t be discouraged, and that was the reason for this movement. What we are doing is for the next generation and it is mandatory for us to prepare a better future for those coming”.

    Buhari pointed out that “the power to change the political future of the country is in the hands of the Nigerian youth, “How it is used is the key.”

     

  • Leadership and Nigerian youths

    Leadership and Nigerian youths

    Let me start with a straightforward incontestable development maxim: The Nigerian youth constitute the singular most important democratic and development capital that the leadership has ignored for far too long. We pay strenuous lip service to the importance of the youth in nation building—we even call them the “leaders of tomorrow”—but in spite of our best effort, the statistics of youth unemployment and the widening gulf between their expectation and their frustration keep growing at an alarming geometric rate that belies our supposed commitment to them. Yet everything has been falling apart for Nigeria in terms of deploying her youthful energies and entrepreneurial creativity productively. The Nigerian youth are not only unemployed, those who manage to escape are leaving the shores of the nation in droves and turning their energies into achievements on behalf of other nations.

    This dire situation tells us a simple fact—that we have not sufficiently taken Nigeria seriously. And this is all the more so because Nigeria is, like Africa, right in the midst of her once-in-a-while demographic youth bulge that could be turned into a considerable productivity opportunity. Taking Nigeria Seriously, to deepen Odia Ofeimun’s book title, simply means taking the youth and youth development seriously. And this translates, in the final analysis, into the first condition for transforming Nigeria into a developmental state. A developmental state is known by its critical engagement with social policy. Social policy refers to policy initiatives, social relations and institutional arrangements which energise human well-being. It constitutes a deliberate attempt, on the part of government, to intervene in the redistribution of resources among its citizens as a means of achieving welfare objectives that empowers the citizens. Articulating a vision of social policy however goes beyond just guaranteeing a minimum level of policy requirements for social well-being. On the contrary, social policy represents a deeper development agenda that translates into good governance.

    This is where the Youth Governance Dialogue initiative, by the Youth Development Centre of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), becomes a significant intervention in the ongoing attempt at reintegrating the youth back into the governance dynamics of the nation. And this, tragically, is against the historical trajectory of our colonial agitation which saw radical youth in the vanguard of nationalist struggle for a fatherland they truly believe in. I can sincerely associate with this gesture. As a former permanent secretary at the Ministry for Youth Development, I was significantly instrumental to the strategic planning process that conceived and delivered a Youth Development National Strategy and Action Plan in 2013. But since then, I have become fully aware of a significant point: Whereas there are in place sufficient strategies and action plans for taking youth development to the next level, one can exercise legitimate doubt as to how far these strategies and frameworks have succeeded in undermining the youth challenge. What is clear is that Nigeria has many agencies and organisations involved in youth-oriented activities, but we still cannot outline in concrete terms the impact of these agencies. For one, these agencies have failed, for instance, to achieve significant buy-in among the youth who see them as essentially self-serving or even highly politicised. This realisation has then inspired the advocacy we embarked upon, especially with the birth of the Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy (ISGPP).

    The first issue, which makes this initiative of the Youth governance dialogue unique, is understanding what the youth challenge is. Let’s take some statistics first. The African youth demographics are worse in terms of the relationship between youth empowerment and national development. And this is all the more so because more than 65% of Africa’s total population today that are under the age of 35; there is a further 35% that stands in the demographic gap between 15 and 35 years (this makes for about 200 million people between age 15 and 35). These figures are expected to double by 2045. However, close to 75million of the youths are unemployed. Those who are employed are trapped in unproductive jobs that promised no future advancement. The vast army of the unemployed is otherwise engaged in the thriving informal criminal economy which deprived the continent of their productive energies. And regularly, close to 10 million—a figure which continues to rise—youths are offloaded to the labour market every month. And in Nigeria as at 2011, unemployment rate in Nigeria stood at 23.9% while youth unemployment stood at over 50%. Added to this is the grim statistics that there is an alarming 16% growth rate of unemployment. Thus, when we think of the youth, what the sociological observation forces into our minds are the miscreants and garage touts (“area boys”), the loafers, drop outs, the almajiris, the unemployed, and all those who have been socially abused, humiliated and deprived of an sense of meaning in life.

    Thus, in spite of the cacophony of youthful voices screaming their frustration across the social media, it is obvious that the Nigerian policy makers have still not woken up to institutional predicament which has continually failed to give the youth access to democratic processes that will help them make informed choices about their roles in Nigeria’s democratic experiment, and as viable component in the search for a viable development paradigm. Consider the following essential questions that bear out this reflection about the state of the youth in national thinking:

    • How many political parties in Nigeria have a youth wing that contributes to internal party policy?
    • How many civil society groups are committed to youth development beyond the mere lip service to their significance?
    • How many religious organisation, for that matter, look to the spiritual rejuvenation of the youth beyond the mere number that attends the church or the mosque?
    • How many organisations are dedicated to youth empowerment in Nigeria?
    • In what sense have the youth been integrated into national decision making process?
    • Is there any longer active student movements that would challenge national injustices and political brigandage?
    • The OOPL Youth Governance Dialogue is therefore confronted with the fundamental challenge of how Nigeria can move from the pessimism of the gloomy youth unemployment statistics to a future of proactive demographics that will generate policy and governance dynamics which can enable Nigeria to harness the boundless creative energies of the ambitious and adventuresome youth. The fundamental issue is therefore to forcefully interrogate the policy intent of the Nigerian government towards the youth.

    The noble intent of the Youth Governance Dialogue is meant to explore ways by which the Nigerian youth can be successfully factored into the governance framework of the Nigerian state. I suspect that this objective can be further enlarged and deepened if tied to a more inter-generational dialogue which locates the youth and their malaise in a wider historical and socioeconomic and political trajectory. This dynamic trajectory derives from leadership and generational deficiencies over the decades since Nigeria’s independence. In dialoguing with the past, the Nigerian youth can therefore engage and query the tokenism that has characterised their enlistment into the political system in Nigeria as personal or special assistants or even as thugs; interrogate the leadership of the country and their anti-progress and anti-development policies; engage with their own complicity in a system which exploit and subjugate their aspirations; attempt to undermine the orthodox national narratives, and in-the-box thinking, which call them “leaders of tomorrow” but prevent their democratic participation; and generally we all can also help create an additive culture, rather than an extractive one, that exalt the value of what we can add to Nigeria and not what can be taken away through corrupt enrichment.

    If we would not allow a Nigerian Spring to burst on us as a result of our lackadaisical attitude and policy listlessness, it is now time to really move away from all the lip service and rhetoric flourish that characterise our relationship with the Nigerian youth to a more institutionalised structure of democratic participation and political succession which allow the Nigerian youth bring their expertise, creativity and knowledge to the development table. If the youth constitute a significant portion of our development, then we have kept them out of that equation for far too long. It is now time to start redressing that lopsidedness.

     

    • Olaopa, the Executive Vice-Chairman, Ibadan School of Government & Public Policy (ISGPP), delivered this paper at a dialogue with youths, organised by the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL).

  • Ijaw youths reject PIB as Senate passes Bill

    Ijaw youths yesterday disowned the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) recently passed into law by the Senate.

    The youths, under the auspices of Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, said passing such a version of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) portrayed senators as insensitive lawmakers.

    In a statement by its spokesman Henry Iyalla, IYC said the PIGB, which failed to provide special funds for oil-producing communities, would not guarantee peace in the Niger Delta region.

    The statement said: “We condemn the show of insensitivity by the Nigerian Senate on the recent passage of the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB), which makes it clear that the only interest the government has in the Niger Delta region is control of its oil.

    “It is unfortunate that at a time we expect the government to show commitment in the development of the region, we have to contend with the celebration of an ill-conceived idea to divide the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) into greed-driven mushroom bits.”

    IYC insisted that the only PIB that would ensure peace in the region and calm frayed nerves must include the Oil Communities Fund Act.

    The group said such Act would give Niger Delta residents a stake in the industry and provide avenues to alleviate their suffering.

    It added that without such funds, any governance structure put in place in the region would fail.

    IYC said: “It must be stated that for oil and gas-related activities to operate smoothly within the Niger Delta region, the National Assembly, which is saddled with the responsibility of law-making, should immediately take further steps for the quick passage of the Host Community Bill.

    “This is to guarantee 10 per cent of the net profit of upstream oil companies on onshore areas and offshore shallow areas to the community.

    “Otherwise, the Niger Delta region would see the recent passage of the PIGB as a calculated move aimed at making laws for the smooth governance of exploitation and exploration of the abundant oil reserve within the region without any consideration for host communities.

    “IYC would not be part of a divide-and-rule method of governance within the oil and gas operations in the region.

    “It should be known by all relevant arms of government that the singular passage of the PIGB will not deliver the full benefits of the intended reforms except the other aspects of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) are legislated upon.

    “The passage of the complete Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is the only guarantee for a smooth and conducive operational environment in Niger Delta, as the people of the region cannot guarantee conducive operational base without the protection of their interest.”

  • Anambra APGA youths protest judgment

    Youths of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Anambra State have protested the judgment of an Enugu High Court against the party.

    The National Youth Leader, Comrade Chinedu Anselem Nebeife, who spoke at a rally at the weekend, said the party will not succumb to people bent on frustrating Governor Willie Obiano’s re-election.

    His words: “We are gathered here to draw the attention of an unsuspecting world to the activities of a satanic cabal intent on the perennial suppression and oppression of the people of Anambra State.

    “Today, we are gathered here to make a definite statement against this evil cabal intent on undemocratically thwarting the cause of good governance, and the rapid, monumental delivery of the dividends of democracy by the Willie Obiano administration.

    “Today we are gathered to defend the cause of true democracy and the rule of law against a cabal whose stated interest is to take over Anambra State by crook or by hook, and begin the satanic enslavement of our people and the systematic destruction of our collective heritage and patrimony.

    “This cabal of expired politicians we are talking about gathered at Finotel, Awka, a few days back, and made it clear that they will go to any extent to rig the November 18 Anambra governorship election by thwarting the cause of democracy and the rule of law.

    “But I appeal to you to remain calm and law abiding, irrespective of this provocative judgment, as our lawyers have been instructed to do the needful and vacate that illegal judgment. And we are confident in their capacity to ensure the victory of justice over injustice. We are also confident that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration’s war against corruption in the judiciary will guarantee our victory.

    “The National Chairman of APGA still remains Dr. Victor Ike Oye. Any other person attempting to lay claim to that office is nothing but a stupid, frustrated and useless pretender.

    “We are glad to say that his leadership has repositioned our party and reset it on the path to greater achievements, beginning with the re-election of Governor Willie Obiano for a well-deserved second term in office.”

    “Finally, let it be on record that we have spit fire, we APGA Youths, Igbo Youths, that if this order of mandamus is not vacated within 21 days, we would occupy the streets like the Egyptians did during the days of Mubarak, where the people protested until justice was done.

    “We call on APGA youths, Igbo youths, and Anambra youths, to rise up in defence of our collective heritage.”

  • Obasanjo to youths: Don’t wish us dead, you still need our mentoring

    Obasanjo to youths: Don’t wish us dead, you still need our mentoring

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Sunday pleaded with the nation’s youth not to wish elders in the country “dead”, saying they need them as “mentors” and “advisers” in their journey of life.

    Obasanjo who stated that his “greatest fear about Nigeria” today remained the “anger and frustration of the youths,” said if not managed, it could lead to “youth explosion.”

    He lamented that Nigerian youths are not getting help either from the government or anybody.

    The Ebora Owu who spoke during the Youth Governance Dialogue organized by the Youth Development Centre arm of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library(OOPL), Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, said while his generation had “limitless opportunities but no facilities” in their time, the youth of today have facilities but little or no opportunities.

    He cited the insurgency in the North East, the separatist agitators in the South East and militancy in the Niger Delta region as manifestations of anger and frustrations from disillusioned youths, warning that should youth explosion erupts, there may be no limit to the extent it can spread.

    He appealed to them to work hard to help themselves and be ready to pay the price for the right cause they believe, saying in spite of all odds, the youth still remained his greatest hope for Nigeria.

    Obasanjo noted that when he left secondary school, he received letters of appointments from five establishments and wondered whether any Nigerian university graduate could have such opportunities today.

    “Don’t wish us dead, don’t wish us to disappear because you will need us. You need us mentors and advisers to mentor and prepare you for the future. You need our experience and assistance of some of us to guide you through life.

    “You should not lose hope, you should not feel frustrated. Whenever I go, they always ask me what is my fear about Nigeria and Africa. And I said my greatest fear is youth anger, frustrations and youth explosion which have no bound.

    “We have the Boko haram in the north, the MASSOB and IPOB in the South East, the militants in the Niger Delta and the Oodua Peoples Congress in the Southwest. All of these are expression of anger and frustrations.

    “We have what it takes to be great as a nation and we can’t transform this country without the youths. My greatest hope in this country is also the youth. You the youth should work to help yourselves. You must be ready to pay the price for what you stand for,” Obasanjo said.

    The lead speaker at the occasion and former Minister of Aviation, Mr. Osita Chidoka while speaking on the theme “Towards a Guiding Political Philosophy for a Democratic Nigeria,” advised that the nation’s leaders should build a society that harness human and material resources effectively, provide equal opportunities and develop capacity for innovation.

    Chidoka also proposed a new Charter for the country, saying the Charter should contain reasons for the country’s unity, and which guarantees the basic rights, privileges and obligations of citizens.

    “Our national aspirations should inspire the next generation and provide them with the existential meaning of Nigeria. A meaning that transcends geography, natural resources and ethnicity.

    “Our political parties can then build their ideologies around the strategies for the achieving our national goals,” he said.

    Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal also attended the conference.

  • 10,000 youths to undergo skills development training

    10,000 youths to undergo skills development training

    The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) in collaboration with the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) is set to begin the second phase of its National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP).

    The scheme is under SMEDAN’s National Enterprises Development  Programme ( NEDEP) training  in 18 states.

    A statement by the SMEDAN’s Corporate Affairs Unit said the flag off ceremony would be performed by the agency’s Director-General/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr. Dikko Umaru Radda.

    The NIDSP programme is under a tripartite arrangement among ITF, SMEDAN and the Bank of Industry (BOI).

    The training is designed to cover 10, 000 participants, who will be trained in 54 centres across the 18 states.

    Earlier this year, SMEDAN trained over 10, 000 graduates of ITF vocational skills training on entrepreneurship and business development under the NIDSP programme.

  • 10,000 youths empowered by ExxonMobil, NBA, Africare

    10,000 youths empowered by ExxonMobil, NBA, Africare

    Ten thousand youth in schools and vulnerable communities will benefit from the Power Forward programme organised by ExxonMobil, the National Basketball Association (NBA) and an international non-governmental organisation, Africare.

    The organisation’s Technical Director, NBA Africa, Power Forward, to Franck Traore, spoke in Abuja at this year’s edition of the youth development programme.

    The youth empowerment programme would equip the participants with life skills information, while 6,000 bed nets will be distributed and 20 hand wash stations installed to promote hygiene and promote exemplary leadership skills.

    He said: “This programme has held three major kick off events with more than 6,000 students and VIP’s in attendance. We have embarked on several interventions at IDP centres for malaria prevention and sanitation exercise.”

    The Power Forward project also supports the Federal Government’s National Malaria Control Programmes’ advocacy on youth development and public health, which ExxonMobil also supports through its health initiatives in the country.

    Africare Nigeria Country Director Orode Doherty said the work of power forward is to engage young students in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), using basketball as a platform to learn about life skills and public health development.

    “Malaria is one of the diseases that we focus on ensuring the students know about because it can be eradicated through individual contributions and behavior, which some of our youths are not aware of. Therefore, power forward program ensures that the students know that every fever needs to be tested and if it is done using a rapid diagnostic test, if found to be positive then you need to get treated.

    “The students also have an understanding of those that are vulnerable to the disease as well as measures to take to prevent malaria,”she said.