-Planning Committee Hold Pre-Engagement Summit
Ahead of the proposed Badagry Youth Engagement (BYE) Summit scheduled for 5th December 2020, the BYE Planning Committee yesterday, Saturday 14th November 2020, hosted youth representatives of selected stakeholders in a pre-engagement summit.
The meeting had in attendance the BYE planning committee members, representatives of National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) Badagry West, Central and Olorunda, representatives of NABAS LASU & LASPOTECH chapters, Indigenous Young Lawyers Forum, Badagry Branch and the media.
In his opening remark, Chairman of the BYE Summit Planning Committee, Mr. Augustine Kiki stated that the BYE Summit is aimed at bridging the gap between the youth and political class in Badagry.
“The bone of contention of the summit is to bridge the gap between the youth and the political class and by extension, between the community and people leading our community Badagry, we are here to dialogue and see how we can better our lives as a youth group and of course a nation.” He said.
Kiki also noted that the meeting is necessary to prepare for the youth engagement summit particularly in the light of several misconceptions flying on social media.
The representative of NYCN Badagry West, Mr. David Aladeotan (aka Water) noted that the youth slogan has been changed to ‘Impact the youth, impact the nation’.
Water also stressed that the Youth Coordinators poured out their grievances at the town hall meeting organized by Hon. Ibrahim Layode, member representing Badagry Constituency 1 in the Lagos State House of Assembly which held on the 29th of last month, adding that a margin has been observed between the youths and the leaders, as there is no platform for them to come together and air their views on government programs and policies.
“The government is too far from us” He added.
Also speaking, Mr. Basit Badaru, a notable youth leader, saddled the planning committee with the responsibility of ensuring that the image of Badagry youths is not traded for anything, stressing that he who wants equity should come with clean hands.
“Truth will surely vindicate a man of sincerity…He who seeks equity must do equity and he who wants equity must come with clean hands. Number one responsibility that I want to saddle the planning committee with is that our image as Badagry youths must not be traded for anything whatsoever.” He said.
Badaru also urged the BYE committee to be transparent, accountable, prudent and explicit in all their doings.
The Founder of De Voice Newspaper, Mr. Ovi Kuponu stated that the best way in handling issues whenever they arose is to analyse the issue on ground, discuss and negotiate, adding that if negotiation does not work then disagreement will follow, not the other way round.
“It is after the failure of the first four that people now go to war, I believe that even lawyers before going to court negotiate first, because launching attacks on ourselves makes it easy for people to divide us.” He added.
It would be recalled that the donation of a sum of Five Hundred Thousand Naira by Hon. Ibrahim Layode in support of the proposed youth engagement summit had elicited some controversies amongst Badagry youths, as monitored on social media.
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