The Coalition of Southern and Middle Belt Youths under the auspices of the Coalition of Southern and Middle Belt Youth Leaders Assembly (COSMBYLA) have said only youthful persons should be elected President and governors in 2023.
In a statement jointly signed by Goodluck Ibem, leader of the group and President, Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL); Terrence Kuanum, Coordinator Forum of Middle Belt Youth Presidents; Shittu Waheed, Coordinator, South West Youth Leaders’ Forum (SWYLF); and Tito Zokumor, President, South-South Youth Forum (SSYF), they said the youths can transform the bad economy of the country if elected into power in 2023.
The statement explained, “Electing youths who have distinguished themselves in their various fields of endeavours remain the panacea that will bring our dear country out of the woods.”
It stated that it is on record that when Nigeria was on the path of progress and development, youths were in charge of the helm of affairs, saying that General Yakubu Gowon was military head of state at the age of 27 and Dim Odimaegwu Ojukwu was 33 when he was in charge of the Eastern Region.
It said these leaders contributed positively to the growth of their regions and the nation at large.
It added that the nation fares well when young, energetic and vibrant young men and women were in-charge of governance and leadership positions, pointing out that the nation’s independence that Nigerians are enjoying today was made possible by Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Eni Njoku and others who were youths at that time.
“They worked assiduously and fought gallantly to actualise our independence as a nation in 1960,” the statement said.
It said that the positive contributions and impacts of the youths to nation-building cannot be overemphasised, saying that the youths are key to national development and growth, agents of change, progress and sustainable peace
The statement opined that vibrant, visionary and energetic youths elected as governors and president would birth a new Nigeria and lead the country to the promised land, assuring that the youths have the capacity to bridge the gap of leadership deficit, divisions, and ethnic hate that is a fly in the ointment and damper to the progress and development of the nation.
It noted that “when youths were at the helm of affairs, $524 was exchanged at N1, stressing that now that the youths have been relegated to the background and completely excluded from governance and leadership positions, one dollar is now exchanged for N524. The situation is really pathetic.”
COSMBYLA called on youths to rise and take the bull by the horn by coming out to take up leadership positions, saying that the time to complain and murmur is over.
“Enough is Enough. We must take what is rightfully ours. The time is now,” the statement explained.