APC, PDP youths unite as Kwara emerging leaders unveil agenda

…Hails Abdulrazaq For Judicious Management of Lean Resources

Some youths from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday unite at launching of Kwara Emerging Leaders in Ilorin.

The Kwara Emerging Leader today at the NUJ secretariat in Ilorin holds a press conference with stakeholders, members of the society on the challenges facing kwara as a state and Nigeria as a country. The program was dedicated to harmonizing the best ideas to solve the challenges facing youths in Nigeria

Mr. Abdulqadir Magaji the People Democratic Party ( PDP) representative in his remark said KEL is about successive future, youths should not allow the government to use them against the state. Also, he seeks for the commitment of youth, to utilize this period and right the wrongs in the country and also stressed that the conference is not a platform for criticism.

Comrade Atanda Rilwan Babatunde, A member and representative of All Progressive Congress in his remark, said youths are tools for development with many responsibilities, stressing that lots of challenges are ahead of them.

The convener of Kwara Emerging Leaders (KEL) Mr. Awogbenle Seun, while addressing the audience said the past hero fought valiantly for independence, and they hoped that someday Nigeria will become a sovereign nation, stressing that our present reality as a country is not in tandem with that aspiration.

Kwara Emerging Leaders is an apolitical forum involving a handful of young accomplished kwaran professionals who are deeply passionate about politics, public service, policy, and governance

As young people, they have a conscious awareness that our lives are only as good as the quality of political leadership.
The future is the purview of young people, the
youths must be at the forefront of leadership
selection, decision-making, and execution. Kwara Emerging Leaders, as a class of new generation leaders, understand this responsibility and are committed to lead Kwara’s young people towards greater political inclusion and participation.

Also in his speech, he expressed that Nigeria as presently constituted has failed and cannot deliver the promises of prosperity, liberty, and protection to its people.

“Vision is in the purview of young people. Presently, the vision that Nigeria is running on has expired, the country needs its young, dynamic and virile youth demography to craft a new vision for the country”, he said.

Seun Awogbenle in his closing remark said the Kwara Emerging Leaders, as a group of conscientious and result-oriented young people, is only out to protect the interest of Kwara’s young people. All actions and engagements, and even relationship with political parties and politicians, is guided by this vision as the forum consider as many people who are committed to youth emancipation and total inclusion in the politics and governance of Kwara State as friends and allies.

While we acknowledge and, indeed, appraise the efforts of the current government to aid the people out of poverty, especially through the Kwara State Social Investment Programme, we however feels that KWASSIP as a whole appears lofty on the surface, but a critical interrogation will reveal that it is nothing but a lazy attempt at poverty reduction. Over again, basic economics has shown that social investment that are not tailored towards a need cannot make any impact.
Taking people out of poverty requires a vibrant and prosperous economic policy and programs, not through a mere handing over of the “handouts” to the selected few. This few are not only constitute just a little in the society but also the sustainability of such programs is not visible in view of the economic realities. Rather than, the “hand out”, provision of enabling environment with right support would lead to more economics activities which would eventually stimulate the state’s economy for a better result, reach and outcome.
34. We believe that the Programme, especially “Owo Mekunu” is a wasteful spending binge that won’t achieve anything other than for sensational news headlines. The situation of our people cannot change with the N3000, N4000, and sometimes, N5000 cash donation. They are even likely to remain poorer than they were before receiving the donation because in many cases, the money will go into consumption.
35. The Programme, we believe, is also not sustainable and we encourage government to review it. It has been said over time that the only investment in our people that will yield the desired result is one that is tailored towards raising their living standards and subsequently lift the bulk of our population out of poverty in the long-term.
36. The government is still barely two years in power, so we believe that improvement can happen along the way. We acknowledge the efforts of the present government to manage its lean resources. We, however, hope the government would take our suggestions with the broad-mindedness that is required.