Saraki, Dogara lament poor participation of youths in politics

The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara yesterday decried the inadequate representation of youths at various strata of governance in the country as they rued the low level participation of the youth in politics of the country.

Both presiding officers of the upper and lower chambers of the National Assembly expressed this concern at the inauguration of the Nigerian chapter of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, IPU, of the Young Parliamentarians, FYP, led by Hon. Raphael Igbokwe.

Saraki, on his part, expressed support for the youths taking up leadership roles adding that he would ensure the participation of young people in governance.

Saraki, who asserted that there was the need to factor in young people in order to build the next generation of leaders, said: “In order to build the next gen­eration of leaders, we must build in young people in the process. We in the National Assembly will give support and ensure the participation of young people in governance. The future of this country lies with young people. For members of IPU, a great challenge await you.”

Also speaking, Dogara said, “The cliche that young peo­ple are the leaders of tomorrow is no longer enough nor tenable. Young people should be given the opportunity to serve in lead­ership positions. The young peo­ple and women are the excluded majority and this imbalance must be corrected.

“As we celebrate our 55th Independence, we should use the occasion for some introspec­tion”.

In his remarks, Igbokwe lamented the shift in focus from the youths to older politicians, recalling that, “In Nigeria, General Yakubu Gowon mounted the saddle of leadership at the age of 28 years.

“The military leaders that came after him like Murtala Muhammed and Olusegun Obasanjo were in their thirties when they ruled Nigeria. Even Nigeria’s current President Muhammadu Buhari was in his early forties during his first coming in 1983.”

He called on Nigerians and parliamentarians at all levels to make it a priority in the next attempt at reviewing the nation’s constitution to amend the portion which excluded and disenfranchised young people from being voted into elective positions until they are 30 years and above.