Youths want more platforms in democratic process

By myvictoryb

A group of youths are calling for more platforms to participate in the country’s democratic process.

The demand is contained in a communiqué of the South-East Youth Decide 2019 symposium, popularly known as “#Youthdecide2019’’, issued in Enugu on Wednesday.

The communiqué was signed by the Convener of #Youthdecide2019, Mr Chukwuma Okenwa, and a panellist in the symposium, Miss Julia Nwosu.

The communiqué also called on consistent re-orientation and enlightenment campaigns for citizens especially the youths that would help to improve the nation’s value system.

The statement said there was a need for change in the political structure of the nation to favour youth leadership.

It noted that the youths were the chief pilot of every successful government in the world, however in the case of Nigerian youths’ apathy to governance and electoral process was being observed.

“There has never been a more suitable time for Nigerian youths to be more informed, guided and engaged in the political space and process of our country than now.

“Based on this, #Youthdecide2019 is a platform created to build up the youths by provoking their thoughts to the realities of the power they wield currently in a latent state.

“Provoking them to actions that will result in good and beneficial to every Nigerians as the 2019 elections draw near,’’ it said.

The statement, however, called on youths to get specific commitments from political aspirants rather than “open-ended promises’’.

“Nigerian youths must arise and know how to fix meetings with government officials in order to relate their community or societal demands strategically to them and follow it to the logical conclusion,’’ it said.

The symposium was attended by over 2,000 youths, including professionals, artisans and students from the South-East.

The symposium was held at the University of Nigeria Enugu Campus (UNEC) on March 10.

The next symposium would be held in Port Harcourt in April for youths in South-South region after which it would move to other zones of the country, the communiqué said.