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| Acting South South Chair of AMPON, Comrade Obaji Akpet |
The South South acting Chairman of the Association of Online Media Practitioners of Nigeria (AMPON), Comrade Obaji Akpet has urged Nigeria’s national assembly to expedite passage of the bill seeking to reduce the age of qualification of interested candidates to contest for elective positions in the country.
AMPON chairman, who stated this in a statement made available to the media as part of world youth day celebration said passing the bill and balancing other areas that will give room for youths to thrive in the country would go a long way to eliminate the clear boundary that exist between youthfulness and adulthood.
“For Nigeria to be truly seen as being the giant of Africa, it must be seen as promoting aspects that do not show clear distinction of being a youth from someone who is arrived,” Akpet said.
“Unfortunately, we live in the part of the world where young people are seen only with the spectacles of exuberance and relegated to the background of dependence,” the AMPON boss worried.
“What happens with appointing truly young persons to hold positions as commissioners?”
“How old is Nigeria’s youth minister, is there something wrong with someone wearing a youthful shoe to man that position?”
“I mean, for me, until we outgrow that stage where we remodify our psych from nursing that boundary about being youthful or not.”
“I mean, the panacea to eliminating even up to youth restiveness is to first eliminate the existence of youthfulness and begin to build capacity and share responsibilities.”
“The statistics show that 70% of the Nigerian population, for instance is peopled by youths; and within these number of youths over 60% have nothing doing; if the national poverty rate is 70%, it invariably means that poverty is density is mostly among the youths.”
“Why can’t we see it as a problem and try to sought it out rather than everyday bickering on youth problems.”
“To solve this, we must first of all, this must start with expediting actions to see that the bill seeking to reduce the age of those contesting for elective positions is passes into law; and this most be done to cover not just politics but other areas and strata of management activities.”
“Let’s give cure to this poverty of mindset and so as our entire generation can be healed.”
“Let’s change dimensions, to solving our issues, I want to be called by this administration to hold appointment and trusted to take full charge of this.”
“We must commend Governors of South South region who are effectively giving opportunities to youths to serve; we commend, especially Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River for his youth inclusion government especially with the appointment of young persons like Betta Edu; Atsu.”
“All governors in the south south are trying in this respect but we urge them to strengthen this path, for it is the only part to free us from the slavery of youthful thinking.”