Imo youths urged to embrace political reforms, participation ||| NEWS CORNER

By Chigozie Uzosike…

Youths of Imo State have been urged to embrace political reforms and participate actively in governance.

The Executive Director of Catch Them Young Initiative (CATYCOI), Nonso Orakwe stated this in Owerri recently during the One-day Community Action Stimulation Plan that saw various youth leaders across the state in attendance.

He said, “There’s need for youths to understand the political reforms, especially the New Electoral Act that determines the underplay and underpinning of politics”.

“The youths need to get involved in action based knowledge activities that will positively affect the schools, communities and families”. If the youths don’t get involved in actions that exposed them, they will continue to play the second fiddle and get schemed out of governance structures”.

Orakwe noted that the youths should focus on the core priorities of reforms which are, establishment of electoral offences commission, post election petition resolution, timely transmission of election results, INEC leadership selection process reforms and interpretation and amendment of continuous voters registration provisions.

“It’s time for the youths to play themselves into the corridors of power and stop being tools for political ascension and begin to take decisions that shape their future”.

The project according to the Executive Director which is being supported by Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI) and Canada Funds for Local Initiatives (CFLI) called on the youths to refuse being used as political thugs and violence and become the leaders themselves.

The Imo State Coordinator, YERP Naija Project, Ezeka Victory, noted that Nigeria, at its current age, should be walking with pride, not crawling in uncertainty, especially in its electoral process.

“The future of our dear nation lies in the hands of its youth, yet meaningful change will remain a distant dream until our voices rise beyond whispers. We have boldly outlined five key electoral reform priorities, a roadmap to correcting the long-standing sins and malfunctions in our democracy”.

“But a river does not swell with one drop of rain: we must unite, adopt these reforms, and demand the Nigeria we rightfully deserve. The time to act is now”.