Sanwo-Olu Wants Active Participation of Youths in Politics

Segun James writes that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has emphasised the need for the youths to be actively involved in the 2023 general elections in the country

At a recent forum to mark the 64th birthday of renowned journalist and activist, Richard Akinnola, Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, gave a talk on the issue of youth participation, role, and their impact in the polity.

In recent times, the youth have been the focus of the main political parties given their recent interest in the political process and their desire for change which has been resonating across the nation. For the first time in the political history of the nation, they have shown a massive interest in the political system, a situation which has become of great concern to politicians.

It was this that prompted the Governor to advise public officeholders and the political class to be deliberate in engaging the youths to foster development, peace, and unity in the country, even as he acknowledged that challenges abound in the country, concerning political, ethnic, social and religious issues, but hinted that the real test of leadership is the ability to rise and surmount the myriad of challenges facing the nation especially as it concerns the youth.

Until recently, the youths have a reputation for taking to the streets on election day to play football on traffic-free roads and generally milling out in groups. They constitute the majority of the voting-age adults in the country, yet make up the least voting bloc in any election.

In 2019, of the 84 million registered voters, the youths between the ages of 18-35 years make up 42,938,458 or 51.i% of registered voters in the country. Yet, with this numerical superiority of the youth population in Nigeria, they accounted for just 39% of voters in that election.

Before now, the complaint from the youth was that their votes had neither mattered nor counted and that the powers that be in the country will always rig their way into power regardless. But with recent awareness and the figures from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that the majority of the recent registrant in the election process are youth, the need to court their support had become very urgent.

Outlining various ways in which his administration had involved the youths, cutting across different sectors based on his THEMES developmental agenda for Greater Lagos, Sanwo-Olu, admonished the youths to take advantage of the many opportunities created by his government, assuring them that his administration would continue to use technology to deliver good governance.

He said: “Our responsibility as a government and as leaders is to reduce the tendency of poverty and create opportunities to take people out of the shackles of poverty. Education happens to be one; knowledge and skill acquisition is another one. Once you can liberate yourself from the shackles of poverty, you have a free mind, heart and soul to desire and design things for yourself.   

“There is a huge opportunity in this country. I want to urge all of you as builders of the nation and leaders of tomorrow; don’t lose hope. People that lose hope are people that are doomed. You cannot lose hope. Every day you wake up is hope for you and that hope should be the thing that should drive you. That hope should be the thing that should propel you.

“You cannot give up because giving up is not an option. In the political, economic and social inclusion space, you cannot give up. Giving up is giving out and that is not the spirit and energy of the youth. The future is here, you are the future. Take hold of it because you need to be in the room to take over. It is important for the youths to participate in the democratic process”. 

 The Governor also urged the youths to make good use of social media as a weapon for their liberation and ensure that they use it to be better persons in  future.

In another event on the same day, the Governor at the inauguration of a recreational park in the Ketu area of Lagos State, with the facility symbolising the commercial city’s constant craving for enduring harmony, once again harped on the importance of the youth to the political system.

“We made the promise less than a year ago that we would build this Peace Park, which would be a place that will bring all of us together. This project was conceived to be a symbol that will further strengthen our unity, diversity, and the sense of equity that we share as residents of this State. We are here today to hand over the facility for public use and this is another example that, when we make a promise, we will fulfill it.

“This recreation ground is for our youths who will use this facility not only as a convergence point for various life-changing activities but also as a symbol of unity and peaceful coexistence. Our young people should see this park as a means of Government identifying with them and use it as a platform to uphold their aspirations and interests. This is why we name the park ‘Peace’ because we believe there is nothing that cannot be achieved in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility.

“This is another demonstration of our commitment to the well-being of our residents, especially the young people. This project is significant and it should be seen as evidence that we are a government that listens to the expectations of the people; a government that is passionate about what the youth want and what will benefit them. We will be ever ready to listen and work with our youths to ensure peace reigns in Lagos,” Sanwo-Olu said.

If the Governor has risen to the importance of the youth in the political evolution of the state, he also shares the same sentiment about public service workers in the state.

In his first official visit to the Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa, Sanwo-Olu told them he has their backs when it comes to their welfare and development. In a surprising move, he announced a pay raise for them. The move, he said, is to cushion the effects of inflation, high prices of commodities, and the rising cost of living being experienced across the globe.

The announcement elicited spontaneous jubilation from workers, as the news went around the secretariat. The enthusiastic staff said the new salaries would boost productivity and scale up service delivery to residents.

Sanwo-Olu said the workers deserved encouraging welfare and benefits, given their unprecedented support and commitment to the core mandates of the State Government. The Governor added that the gesture would further motivate the State’s workforce and enhance its services to the people.

“I have looked around; I know there is pressure and a high level of inflation in the country. There is a high cost of living everywhere. Last month at the cabinet meeting, I instructed the Office of Head of Service and the Ministry of Establishment, Training and Pensions to start work on how we will increase the salaries of the entire workforce.

“I just don’t want to talk about it because we are Lagos; we reflect this decision in the lives of our people. I know the pressure of inflation is on you; we will not wait for the Federal Government before we take this decision. This is Lagos. We are going to review the salaries and ensure we take care of our public servants.

“When we do the pay rise, not only will we expect more from you, but our citizens must also see the benefits of this important decision in the service delivery. We are a proactive government, we don’t want the staff unions to hold us to ransom. We are responding to the yearnings of our people; I know you have not asked for it, but I am happy to tell you that a pay increase is on the way.”

The participation of young voters in the electoral process in the country improved slightly in 2019 from previous election rounds. In 2019, 23,316 candidates vied for 1558 elective seats, and 41.8 percent of young people ran for office up from 21 percent in 2015.

But 2022 has been a year marked by political awareness with an estimated 10 million additional registered voters for the 2023 election, and a majority of the registrants are youth, a record in the annals of the nation’s political history,