By Iduozee Paul, Benin
The speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin has advocated the active participation of youths in politics to correct the anomaly in the present political situation in Nigeria.
The speaker made the call when he and other youth leaders paid a courtesy visit to the national vice chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Dan Ose Orbi in Benin City, Edo State, to solicit for his support in youth participation in politics.
Adebo Ogundoyin pledged the support of the youth to the new national vice chairman.
He said,” Most of the youth you see here are not partisan; they are here to congratulate you. They are here because of your integrity. Because of the kind of person you are, we came from various states to thank you and to wish you well on your new capacity in your position, as the national vice chairman of PDP in South-South Zone. We will give you the support to achieve your goals for the region and the country”.
The speaker said youth agitations for inclusion in governance can no longer be ignored.
“The main reason why we are here is because we have seen the agitation of the youths around the country. It is something that we cannot ignore anymore.”
He added that the needed unity for the country can only come from the youth.
“I have a prediction and the prediction is that it is the youths that will unify this country. How can they unify the country when we don’t feel as stakeholders or when we have been let down by past leaders? How can we unify this country when we feel that our voices are not heard?
“Just some months ago we tried to make our voices heard by embarking on #ENDSARs Protests and we all know how it ended. Now, we have gone back to the drawing board, knowing full well that active participation in politics is the only way forward.”
Hon Adebo stressed that the youths are ready to give the PDP leader the needed support to succeed, and in return, the youth need his support.
“l am not speaking for the youth of the Southwest alone, which I represent, but I am speaking for the youth of the whole Southern Nigerian; at the end of the day, whether by Constitution or by Amalgamation, we are one Nigeria. By God grace we shall not see war”.
Responding, the national vice chairman of the PDP South-South Zone, Chief Dan Ose Orbi said that, in Nigeria, PDP is the only party in the country that accommodates the interest of the youths.
Orbi said:” I have heard you very loud and clear, and I want to identify with all you have said. First, we need greater participation of our youths in the politics and government of our country.
“And to do this, we need to send a loud message to those who are in charge of affairs of this country. With greater youth participation in politics, I believe the youth will bring in their ideas and strength in terms of numbers to give a new dimension to the politics in Nigeria”.
“Talking about politics, I will like to use this opportunity to say one or two words about the recent outbursts of the CBN governor over the sad revelation by the governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki that the federal government printed over N60billion to be able to make-up the money required to pay their statutory allocation to the various tier of governments.
“To me the outburst was political. To me I will like to condemn the CBN governor for his remarks because he said so much without convincing Nigerians about the economics of the decision to print over N60billion to meet the statutory allocation to the states and local governments. That is clear public admission that all is not well with our economy”.
The PDP leader urged youths to come up with ideas to help APC out of its present mess.
“We need the youths to come up with ideas and programmes that would help the APC governments come out from their mess because the revelation made by the Edo State governor is a sad reminder of what happened in Uganda years ago”.
He pointed out that no country can sustain its economy with abuses.
“No government has sustained the economy of the country with this type of abuse. I think it is time for us as a country to make it very clear that whoever assumes the office of governor of the CBN should make it as duty to serve the people of the country.
