‘Youth should use social media to engage political process’ Nigerian youths must begin to see the social media as platforms to engage the political process, political parties and their candidates, as the 2015 general election approaches, and not just for socializing. This is because with the help of social media, the youth could determine the fate of every political aspirant. This was the position of the Executive Director, Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA), Lagos, Mr. Lanre Suraj at the December tweet-athon conference of the International Press Centre (IPC) supported by the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) Democratic Governance for Development (DGD) 111 Project and its international partners. Suraj maintained that it is not an option for youths not to be interested in the electoral process because if they failed to engage the process and take charge of their future, others will take charge, which is what is presently playing out in the political parties with those claiming to be youth leaders above 50 years. He further said that it is because the youths have failed to engage the process that created the vacuum for all sorts of charlatans to take charge. He also stated that it is very crucial that the participation and engagement of the process is not reduced to just voting, because it is the youth that are suffering the consequences of the failed system, noting that the youth will continue to be subjected to people who are inferior to them if they failed to engage the process or limit it to just voting. For him, it is difficult for change to start from the top but from the bottom, if it will be a fundamental change that will impact positively on the community, the more reason the youth must be involved. The HEDA boss opined that if the next general election is not decided right, there might not be a country called Nigeria. In his welcome speech, Programme Associate, IPC, Lagos, Mr. Sanmi Falobi, who noted that with presidential and National Assembly elections coming up on February 14, 2015 and the governorship and House of Assembly elections planned for two weeks after, political stakeholders, especially candidates already persuading the electorates ahead of the elections, said that one group that is central and indeed of importance to political candidates and political parties alike is the vibrant and active population of about 53 million Nigerian youth. Falobi, however, observed that beyond youths participation by voting, experience has shown that the youths come handy to politicians for other non-voting activities like ballot snatching, use as thugs, breeding and escalation of violence, which are inimical to the attainment of credible elections. This, he said, was why the IPC dedicated the December edition of the tweet-a-thon conference to focus on how to engage the youths productively in the electoral process with the theme, 2015: Advancing youth participation in election. Falobi also gave some insight into past editions of the conference, disclosing that before the December edition, five tweet-a-thon engagements were held with the discussion moving from gender issues to disability and using social media to promote citizens participant. Besides Lanre Suraj, who was the lead discussant, other discussants who also made comments were Programme Officer, Media Career Service, Mr. Seye Joseph; Deputy National Coordinator, Education Rights Campaign, Mr. Lateef Adams and Miss Peju Iteade of Civil Society News. Joseph noted that the youth had been taken for granted though the youth are not helping their cause. He ironically also argued that if the country would witness the needed change it is yarning for, it should start from the youth. He however observed that with the present posture of the youth, he does not see the change coming from that direction. Iteade maintained that if the youth really want to see a change, they must be willing to make a sacrifice. In his submission at the gathering, the Director IPC, suggested the setting up of a youth fund to cater for the welfare of the youth. For him, if this youth fund is not set up, there will be too much money to steal. On his part, Adams said the youth must organize themselves to make impact and not allow the present political class to continue. He felt that politicians are using religion and ethnic sentiments to divide the electorates including the youth. “As youth, we must not buy their illusions,” said Adams. He urged the youth to join a political party that have good ideology. He also called on them to cast and defend their votes in the coming election. One of the participants noted that if there are no concrete steps to educate the youth, then the mediocrity will continue to be identified among the youth. Source: Gbenga Salau (The Guardian)
Posted on: Mon, 29 Dec 2014 13:20:53 +0000
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