From Priscilla Ediare, Ado Ekiti
The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Ekiti State chapter, has called for greater involvement of youths in governance, urging the incoming administration of Hon Biodun Oyebanji, kicking off from October 16, to give it a priority.
The youth body advocated for 40% of political appointments reserved for youths.
Oluwasegun Bankole, the newly elected Chairman of the NYCN, Ekiti State, made this known in Ado Ekiti, on Thursday, during his inaugural press briefing after his emergence.
The election was supervised by security agencies, Ekiti State Ministry of Youth and Sports, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
Bankole emerged as the winner having scored a total of 109 votes to defeat his close rival, Segun Famuyibo, who polled 19 votes.
Addressing reporters on the NYCN’s expectations from the incoming goverment, Bankole said: “The NYCN is ready to key into Biodun Oyebanji’s policy thrust because we have studied it and found that he makes youth empowerment a priority on his list.
“But regarding youth involvement in governance, we are not expecting anything less than 40% of political appointments from his government as part of the ways to empower and accord us recognition in government.”
On the strike embarked on by ASUU and the adverse effects on youths, Bankole added: “We are going to call the attention of our stakeholders to the reason why this strike should end now.
“Reports we are getting showed that many of our female students have been impregnated, while the male counterparts are into criminalities because they were not occupied and productive in the six months duration of this industrial action,” he said.
The Chairman assured that he is coming on board to rebrand Ekiti youth and change the narratives through effective collaboration with local and international organisations to better the lots of Ekiti youth.
The outgoing NANS National President, Sunday Asefon, who doubles as the Publicity Secretary of the NYCN in the immediate past administration, warned against factionalisation of the body, saying this would not be in the interest of the youth.
Asefon applauded Governor Kayode Fayemi for presenting a parcel of land and the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) to NYCN to build a state secretariat for the youth body.
