Youth Neglect May Worsen Social Unrest, Saraki, Dogara Warn

Damilola Oyedele and James Emejo in Abuja

The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, wednesday cautioned against the continued exclusion of youths in governance affairs in Africa.

Saraki said the inclusion of youths in politics was a panacea for sustaining good governance and development.

He said: “Inclusiveness as it relates to the theme of this conference is a panacea to achieving peaceful societies, however where injustice, poverty and lack of political will for reform are paramount, political engagement and inclusiveness of youth will achieve very little or none at all.”

Dogara, on his part, warned that African countries risked social and political turmoil should the youth be shut out of governance.

He said as the fastest growing continent with the most youthful population in the world, governments cannot afford the social and political costs of neglecting the young persons.
Both spoke at the opening of the African Regional Conference of the International Parliamentary Union (IPU)- young parliamentarians forum held in Abuja.

The senate president said: “The agitations of young members of the National Assembly, youth groups and civil society organisations for the inclusion of young persons in leadership and in the decision making process, is not just one of those instruments adopted by pressure groups to attract attention but a demand for initiating and sustaining good governance and development.

“Therefore, when these agitations were expressed in form of a request for the reduction in the qualification age for running for public offices, the leadership of the National Assembly saw it as an opportunity to change the leadership temperament in developing societies, an opportunity to prepare for the future of Africa as a socio-economically and politically developed continent.

“It gladdens my heart that the National Assembly reduced the age qualification for running for Public offices to as low as 25 years and we believe this will be enshrined in our Constitution after the entire amendment process must have been completed.”

He added: “As members of parliaments, we will have to be more committed to enacting legislations and giving legislative backing to policies that will eradicate poverty, exhume and expunge injustice in our society and help in the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Nonetheless, the speaker said: “Any nation that fails to set an agenda for its youth must have wittingly or unwittingly outsourced that responsibility to the youths to set one for themselves, and that nation should be ready to bear the dire consequences in terms of social and political costs. This is a luxury African nations cannot afford because Africa has the fastest growing and most youthful population in the world at the moment.

“Government has a duty to develop clear policies and programmes for youth development and get the young ones involved in the planning, formulation, execution and supervision as a matter of necessity and clear demonstration of government commitment in creating a tolerant and inclusive society.”

He further expressed concern over the rising violence, insecurity and extremism in Africa and solicited concrete solutions to the challenges in Africa.

According to him: “The rising political insecurity, violent extremism and crises ravaging Africa is another issue that should be of concern to us as lawmakers. I want participants at this conference to carefully examine the relationship between youth unemployment/underemployment and upsurge in criminal activities, extremism and armed conflict on the continent.

“I equally crave the indulgence of delegates and other participants at this conference to not only proffer solutions to the challenges raised, but as members of parliaments and drivers of positive change, we must go back to our different countries with the hunger and spirit of pressing for domestication and optimal implementation of the outcomes of our deliberations at this conference.”