.…urges them to use social media platform for social good
By Ife Osemedua
365Daily– Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has assured youths that the Federal Government ban on Twitter will be resolved soon.
This is just as he urged skit comedians to make deliberate efforts to use their huge following on social media to promote social good and impact positively.
Osinbajo said these on Wednesday in Abuja, when he received a delegation of skit comedians on a courtesy visit at the Presidential Villa.
Spokesman to the Vice President, Laolu Akande, stated in a press release that the delegation, which came under the aegis of the Nigeria Skits Industry Awards (NSIA), was led by its promoter, Bimbo Daramola.
The delegation comprised Maryam Apaokagi (Taooma), Josh Alfred (Josh2funny), Ayo Ajewole (Woli Agba), Adebamiro Adeyanju (Mr Hyenana) and Adeoye Adeyemi Elesho (Yemi Elesho).
While assuring that the Federal Government would continue to create an enabling environment for the growth and development of youths in the country, he urged them to use their talents to show the good in Nigeria.
He highlighted the work of the Technology and Creative Advisory group in shaping policies to encourage the growth of the sector, saying that engagement with skit comedians was important.
Osinbajo added that the creativity and talents of Nigeria’s youth were enough reasons to believe in the future of the country and build a new Nigeria that every citizen would be proud of.
He said: “I strongly believe that what our young people are doing and what they are capable of is what will lead our country to where we are meant to be.
“The future is not tomorrow; it is already here and we can see it from just everything you are doing, the global acclaim that you are getting; young people like yourselves, doing something good.
“I think that we have incredible talent and we must do something about it, to enable these talents and we must ask ourselves questions on setting realistic goals that can enable these talents flourish.
“I must say that just based on the sheer creativity around this, I don’t think that anybody anywhere is as funny as Nigerian comedians.
“Let us sit down and look at all the issues and come out with realistic positions that can then become policies, and what sort of support will be required.’’
Osinbajo also used the events to address a couple of issues that were raised by the youths, including the Twitter ban, the harassment of youths by the police and law enforcement officers and the need to improve the country’s public education system.
On the issue of public education, Osinbajo said the Federal Government, through the National Economic Council (NEC), was working in collaboration with state governments to improve public education, including primary and secondary schools which fall under state governments.
The vice president said that the Federal Government was already making efforts to resolve the Twitter ban and ensuring that young Nigerians and all Nigerians were protected and their rights respected by law enforcement officers.
He said that through the mandate of the National Economic Council (NEC), which he chairs, state judicial panels were established nationwide to address issues of police brutality and extrajudicial killings, while also providing compensation to victims.
In his remarks, Daramola thanked the Vice President for receiving the delegation, saying that Osinbajo identified with young people describing him as a man of the youths.
“Your Excellency, this visit shows that you have a heart for young people, and you have changed the dynamics to show that government listens to the youths,” he said.
On his part, Elesho described Osinbajo as a man of the youths.
“I heard your speech on Monday asking the youths to move on; this is our movement,” he said.
In addition, Agba, alongside others on the delegation, commended him for his support for the development of young Nigerians and further commended his youth-centric connection.
Osinbajo was later presented with an NSIA insignia.