…ASKS FOR YOUTH INCLUSION IN ALL SECTORS
BY BENEDICT NWACHUKWU, ABUJA
The youth arm of the All Progressives Congress (APC) under the aegis of All Progressives Youths have asked for better deals from the parent body demanding that the ruling party should include at least two youths in its various leadership cadre.
They called on the APC to ensure that the youths are not neglected in the daily running of the Party’s affairs claiming that it is needful to deepen participation by deliberately mainstreaming young people in the party and government for the purpose of securing the legacy of the party and the President.
Rising from a One-Day Conference of Progressive Youths organized by the All
Progressives Congress, in Abuja, the speakers, discussants and delegates reached a consensus on deepening social, political and economic participation of the young people through inclusion and deliberate mainstreaming of progressives ideas
and ethos that creates opportunities for young people as defined by the laws
and convention of the All Progressives Congress.
In a Communique from the one-day programme and circulated to the media at the Buhari House headquarters of APC, the conference also recognizes that Nigeria is a young country with more than 70 per cent of its population below the age of 50 years adding that the youthfulness fuels a huge energy capable of delivering sustainable prosperity to the over 200 million Nigerians if well harnessed and rightly targeted.
Speaking further during the presentation of the communique, the national youth leader, Barr Ismaeel Ahmed said, the part should create a pathway to a significant inclusion of young people in party activities, leadership structure and committees and also to engage young people in government at all levels, by strengthening the provisions of the constitution of the party and establishing guidelines for elected and appointed officials of the government and the party.
Recalling the restiveness the country was thrown into during the#ENDSARS protests, Barr Ahmed said, “The damage and havoc that came along with the ENDSARS protest across the nation was referenced significantly and the need to create a real political shift in
Nigeria and set the tone that accentuate the ongoing efforts of the All
Progressive Congress (APC) to attract younger Nigerians into the party and build into the future a sustainable political structure that is trans-generational.”
The national youth leader further said, “the party should fix the age of 35 or below for all counsellorship seats to be contested for under the party, except where such person does not exist or does not have the requisite qualification.
“Young people under the age of 45 should be encouraged and supported by the party to hold Chairmanship seats at the Local Government Council level in all the states of the federation while the State Houses of Assembly seats should be pegged at 45 as well to infuse energy and direction at the state legislature.”
In furtherance to their demands, the youth want the leadership of the APC to ensure that at the Party level young men and women should be encouraged and be given preference to run for every office noting that those of deputies should be set aside for youths and women only, perhaps with the exception of the Office of Deputy Chairmen which shall be opened to everyone.
