Kwara gov urges youths to participate in politics
The governor of Kwara state, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has advised youths to join partisan politics, adding that they should use their numerical strengths to demand for developmental politics.
Speaking with the Kwara State delegation to the Nigerian Youths Parliament on Tuesday, the Governor also urged the youths to make themselves the critical mass that would end a culture of politicians doling out public funds at the expense of investments in infrastructure, education, and health.
The meeting was attended by Hon. AbdulKareem AbdulKareem (Kwara Central); Hon. Salihu Ismail (Kwara North); and Hon. Adeola Adedoyin (Kwara South), among others.
“Engagement in politics is important. As parliamentarians, you need to reach out to your people to let them know their rights. Somebody coming to give you money and not fixing your schools is not serving your best interest. That is where we want to go in politics. We are not sharing money. We need to lay the right foundation for the next generation,” he said.
“We must stop the idea of sharing money at the expense of what truly matters. Let’s fix our schools. Let’s fix our hospitals. Let’s be able to pay bursaries to poor students who are suffering, among other issues of development.”
Abdulkareem, who spoke on behalf of the youths’ parliament, commended the Governor for his investments in basic amenities and his inclusion of youths and women in his cabinet.
He urged the Governor to do more, including creating an office for humanitarian affairs, state chapter of the youths’ parliament, and local government offices for the ministry of youths and sports in the state.
He said the Nigerian Youth Parliament is a creation of the United Nations General Assembly in 2008 and initiated in Nigeria by the then President Umaru Yar’Adua in 2008.
“We are the fourth session of the Nigerian Youth Parliament and ever since the inception of your administration, we are lucky to work with your administration especially for giving so much opportunities for youths to serve. We are proud of you as our Governor,” he said.
AbdulKareem urged the administration to work more with the Youths Parliament to attract more opportunities for the young people in the state.