2023: Youths Owns An Obligation Of Delivering Nigeria If……Says Professor Aduba

From Daniel Dauda,Jos

The professor of International Law, faculty of Law University of Jos, Professor Nnamdi Aduba said Nigerian youths owns an obligation of delivering the country from bad governance if only they eschew money bags politics in 2023 general elections.

Aduba believed the owns almost 40% population of voters which if put into use can change the narrative of governance in Nigeria.

He made the assertion Friday in Jos Plateau State capital during the event of International Youth Day Conversation, champion by Equity International Initiative (EII) in collaboration with CYPA Africa.

The conversation theme:” Young people and the 2023 elections; setting the agenda”, professor Aduba opines “the youth have the key, they have the number and it is the number that matters in democracy. So as far as I am concerned they have the number. What they lack is simply commitment, the desire to make the number count. That means thinking about their future!

“If you collect one thousand, five thousand and at the end of the day you sale your future what happens next? So nobody is going to deliver the youth apart from themselves. They own themselves an obligation to save themselves. The old ones cannot save them their the ones that has the key to deliver themselves.

He said youths should master the problems we have on ground, for instance, the Constitution, educational sector, economy, security and others

According to him, “ASUU is almost six months now on strike, don’t the youth think that the education which is very essential for their own development shouldn’t be at the front bunner.What effort do they think the incoming politicians have, what plans do they acquired to address unemployment. If you’re not educated how are you going to be employed.The economy is not doing very well and every body is winding up in poverty.

“The current insecurity bedevilling the nation is pathetic and if we are not secure our movement is going to be restricted. So there is a need for us to take another look whether we have got to a stage where we need State Police. These are some of the fundamental issues young people should be contemplating during 2023 elections” Aduba mentioned.

Ambassador Bello Lukeman said Nigerian youths should supposed to be the ones aggregating opinions for the betterment of the Nation,but rather allowed sentiments to take over their sense of judgement as a result incitement along ethnic, religion and tribal bigotry by politicians.

He said it is high time for the youths and Nigerians as a whole to take a bold step to vote wisely in 2023 noting that” since 1999 when Nigeria return to democracy we have been voting leaders alone ethnicity and religion without no achievements.”

Speaking on The rationale behind the interactive session,the country director of Equity International Initiative (EII), Mr. Chris Iyama revealed that the international Youth conversation for us is on how we can engage Youths, don’t forget that INEC just released the statistics of voters registration in which the youths are more in number with about 39% or more minus the other registration of 2022 and that is why we are having a conversation on who is going to shape the 2023 elections space.

“Mine you we are talking about international conversation on governance and even at that we need to have more young people in the political space to decide the future of their country because you cannot be discussing the future without involving the young people.

“So we are encouraging young people to ensure that they didn’t only registered because they are going to use it for writing JAMB or opening account but we are encouraging young people that their permanent voters card (PVC) is their weapons for attaining a greater future.

“The target is to raised more awareness among young people to be politically implored and politically inform. The idea is to begin to drive in the agenda setting because we must know what we are voting for as young people in this coming elections. We must look at insecurity, educational sector and other sectors of the economy to make sure come 2023 we do not repeat the mistake we made before”, he stated.