By Perpetua Onuegbu
Dr Chukwudi Odoeme, Director of Debates and Lecturer, Faculty of Law, Veritas University, Abuja, has called for policies that encourage young peoples’ involvement in governance the nation.
He said this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the side lines of a debate with the theme: “My Nigeria, Our Nigeria“, organised by YIAGA Africa, on Friday in Abuja.
He was at the event to represent the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Hyacinth Ichoku.
According to him, government is not doing enough in carrying youths along in electoral processes and other aspects of governance.
“I think there should something like a policy that will encourage young people to be involved in all aspects of governance both in policy formulation, choice of candidates for elections .
“Not just for voting only, if they do that I am sure that the awareness will be higher and the young people will be far more interested in governance than they are today.
“You only get to see government involving young people when it is time for elections to make up ad-hoc staff for INEC.
“Butt then during mobilisation from party level the party does not seem to have any provision for young people to participate at the party level and that is where democracy starts”, he said.
The don commended Yiaga Africa for encouraging young people to show interest in governance.
Speaking on the impact of the topic for the debate he said it was meant to sensitise young people to be part of the governance system, part of the democratic discusses.
“So that they will be able to understand what governance is about and when they are due to participant they will be able to participant in informed participation.
“Like I tell my students, debate is a very important aspect of growing up and I will encourage everyone should be part of it , the reason is that it gives you a new perspective of life .
“It encourages you to think on your feet, there is no form of training that is better than this, it makes you think on your feet it makes you analytical and it disposes you to the current happenings in the world“.
Also speaking, Programme Officer, Yiaga Africa, Mr Olaniyan Sanusi said the competition was designed for students in tertiary institutions across the six geopolitical zones in the country to share their ideas of an ideal Nigeria that they want to thrive in.
“What does Nigeria mean to them, what do they envision about the Nigeria they want to live and thrive in.
“This debate is conducted across the six geopolitical zones and on Wednesday the 24th we had a South East geopolitical zonal debate.
“For us at YAGA Africa, what we want to see is a movement of young people debating on what the Nigerian citizenship means to them because young people make up the bulk of the Nigerian population.
Sanusi urged government to put measures in place that encourage youths active participation in party politics adding that young people should be interested in and concerned about governance processes.
NAN reports that the schools that took part in the North Central Zone debate are Veritas University, Bingham University, University of Ilorin and University of Abuja.
The winner of the North Central zonal round is Veritas University and the second position is University of Ilorin.
Yiaga Africa is a non-profit organisation promoting participatory democracy, human rights and civic participation.(NAN)