Yahaya Bello’s Chief of Staff Urges Youth Assertiveness in Party Structures

• Group seeks support for youths

By Kingsley Nwezeh

Chief of Staff to Kogi State Governor, Mr Abdulkareem Asuku, has called for youth assertiveness in political party structures.

Speaking at a youth event in Abuja, he said Nigerian youths should be assertive in political party structures in order to play important roles in party politics and governance.

He spoke as a Civil Society Organisation (CSO), the Pan African United Youth Development Network (PAUYDN), called for youth inclusion and participation in decision making at all levels.

The chief of staff said the Kogi State government had developed a model of youth and women inclusion in governance by appointing youths as secretaries of local government councils.
“The youth structures of Nigerian political parties need to assert themselves better. Many of the youth are not empowered”, he said.
He called on the youth “to work intelligently, strategically and tactically to get to the top of leadership in the country”.
“It is on record that Kogi State under Governor Yahaya Bello has developed a working model of youth and women inclusion in governance, wherein by affirmative action it appointed leaders of National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) as secretaries of their respective local government
Meanwhile, a Civil Society Organisation (CSO), the Pan African United Youth Development Network (PAUYDN), called for youth inclusion and participation in decision making at all levels.

A statement signed by the President of the organisation, Ambassador Habib Mohammed, said following the youth conference recently held by the All Progressives Congress in Abuja and the party’s expression of support for youth development, it was imperative to replicate it in other parties.
“We encourage other political parties to equally provide such platforms for engagement among their members and the general public from the youth demographic to ensure youth inclusiveness in governance and politics”, it said.