By Saidu Idris
365Daily – Prominent Presidential aspirant and Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has said that for Nigeria to get out of its present economic conundrum, there must be a deliberate effort to accommodate the youths and women in the various aspects of governance process.
According to him, the youths of any nation form the nucleus of its productive sector because of their energy, resourcefulness, intellect and capacity to generate ideas and drive initiatives.
He said, “Youths occupy the very important position for national rebirth and paradigm shift. They have the capacity, energy, and drive to make things happen. Any country that truly wants to develop and get its governance structure right, must accommodate youths in the process of charting a roadmap for robust and constructive engagement in the interest of the country”.
Speaking further, Wike said that leaders must cultivate both the youths and women in the effort to rejuvenate the system and relaunch it on the super highway of growth, productivity and effectiveness.
In a statement in Abuja by his media office on Thursday, April 21, 2021, he said proposed a deliberate policy that would draw inspiration from the youths and women population to take the centre stage in our renewed efforts to reposition the country.
He said, “We cannot afford to ignore our youths and women segments of the population. We must bridge the gap, create the nexus between the old and the young, to drive growth and development”.
According to Governor Wike, “the problems bedevilling the country require the determination, commitment and resilient of all especially the youths to arrest the drift. If we truly want to get the right results and sustain a healthy narrative for national rebirth, we must consciously engage the youths to make that happen. Our women folks have been neglected for so long. This should not be so. In Rivers state, for example, I made it a point of duty that women must be accommodated at the Ward level as Councillors, at the Local Government level as Vice Chairmen, and at the state level as Deputy Governor.
“To solve the endemic nature of our insecurity, we must embark on attitudinal re-orientation to inculcate the right values, ethics and virtues to stimulate productivity, respect for constituted authority, and sustenance of a culture of patriotism and believe in our unity in diversity. While the older generation are expected to use their wisdom and advice to guide the younger ones to take the right decision, a sense of collective responsibility must be encouraged in the overall interest of the country. As a plural society with all manner of disparate interests competing for space and attention, the growing need to promote unity and build cohesion becomes undoubtedly apposite.
“My desire is to tap into the youths and women population to generate utility-driven ideas that can withstand the test of time. We will ensure that they play pivotal roles in our shared commitment to lift Nigeria out of its present conundrum caused it by APC’s lacklustre performance. The youths and women must therefore join hands with me in this clarion call and aspiration to rebuild the broken walls of our dear nation. It is a task that must be done without equivocation. I welcome you all on board”.