2023 Elections: DSA Cautions Youths Against Political Violence
The Executive Director of Development Specs Academy (DSA), Dr Okey Ikechukwu has urged youth to make informed non-violent interventions in the polity with clear goals of development and sustainable social order.
The Director spoke at a round table discussion organized by the academy at the Army Resource Center, Abuja.
While contributing to the session, Fr. George Ethusani, said that the older politicians have failed the country adding that they have nothing to offer again.
He said: “Reject the old politicians, insisting that the 2023 general election should be a turning point for the Nigerian youths.
“They have failed, reject those people who said they will make dollars to naira but the same dollar to naira has now risen to about 580.”
In his part, the former President of the Historical Society of Nigeria, Professor Chris Ogbogbo, noted that one of challenges confronting Nigerian youth is lack of a sense of history, which is why they do not appreciate where the country is heading today.
“You don’t understand where we are coming from, so if you don’t appreciate where we are now and as a consequence, your future would be bleak,” Ogbogbo said, adding that Nigerians often forget that those who occupied leadership positions before 1960 and the post colonial period were mainly youths.
A TV personality with the African Independent Television (AIT) presenter, Dr Ameachi Anakwue said if the youths want to make a difference, they should form associations.
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“Form clubs or get your way into that club that will help you make decisions,”Anakwue said, adding that the youths can stand for a presidential election.
“You cannot run as an independent in Nigeria, you need a political party to present you as a candidate and if you can’t, like I said we are bystanders and for how long can we continue to be bystanders?
“If you take a look at the socio-economic indices, in Nigeria, we are faced with illiteracy, poverty and even open defecation. We are the most traumatized, most terrorized. It’s a precarious situation,” Anakwue said.
Okey Ikechukwu further Advises that Nigerians should take advantage of the fact that information can easily be verified to investigate the source of any news item before disseminating it on social media platforms. This is with particular reference to recorded audio messages, distorted video clips and instigated fake news.
He then call for active participation of Nigeria citizens but informed and conflict-sensitive commentary on national issues via social media platforms
Maj. Gen. SK, on his own part, encourage the government to be proactive in tackling the security challenges especially by ensuring the release of all those kidnapped on the March train bombings in particular and others in captivity across Nigeria.
He then call on the government to be serious in the area of public perception management, crisis and strategic communication and be more proactive in the information dissemination by carrying Nigerians along.
By PRNigeria
