Foundation Tasks Youths on Good Governance, Politics

By Lucky Isibor

Youths in the five Local Government Areas of Edo Central Senatorial District have been tasked on the need to be involved in the governance of their communites with a view to holding government at the third tier of government accountable and enhance their ability to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people at the grassroots.

The Chief Responsibility Officer (CRO) of Josemaria Escriva Foundation (JOSEF), Dr. Jude Obasanmi gave the charge at a rally at Ekpoma, the administrative headquarters of Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State to mark the project close out of the European Union Agents for Citizens-Driven Transformation EU-ACT project titled "Empowering the Youth to Stimulate Participatory Democracy at Community Level in Edo State", which was funded by the European Union and implemented by the British Council in collaboration with Josemaria Escriva Foundation.

While urging the youths to participate actively in the February 2023 general elections, Dr. Obasanmi noted that the EU-ACT project supports one of the thematic pillars of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Initiative which the Edo State Government signed into in 2019.

According to the CRS, "the 9-month project supports one of the pillars of the Edo State Government on the Open Government Platform Strategy launched in 2019 by not only ensuring inclusion and enhancing participation of women, youths and other community members, but also to encourage them to take ownership and assist Government drive the process of transparency, accountability, fair and impartial implementation of development opportunities for the benefit of the citizens of Edo State".

Also speaking during the rally, the administrative officer of the foundation, Mrs Blessing Oigbochie pointed out that the project is aimed at  sustaining the improved level of youth participation in political processes through capacity building and public enlightenment in communities on the need to collect their voter cards and vote candidates of their choice during elections. 

She noted that "the project seeks to sustain the improved level of youth participation in political processes through capacity building undertakings and community organizing initiatives, like the campaign for people to collect their Permanent Voter Cards, shun violence during elections and for them not to sell their PVCs."

 In his remark, the  Eguare- Ekpoma Community Youth Leader, Comrade Ekhideno thanked EU-ACT and the foundation for the initiative and also requested for more of such campaigns and rallies in the future as according to him, it would assist in effectively mobilising and empowering young persons to take active part in governance.

In a good will message at the rally, Mrs Racheal Aigbedion, a person living with disability said the activities that took place during the execution of the EU-ACT project which include trainings on advocay, community mobilization, fund raising strategies, public speaking and confidence building, community dialogues, youth driven-citizens fora has strengthened the knowledge and skills of participants on advocay, leadership and community mobilization.

A member of JOSEF Board of Trustees, Prof Matthew Izibili thanked Mr. Newton Otsemeye, the Edo State Focal Person for the European Union Agents for Citizens-Driven Transformation (EU-ACT) under which the project was implemented and solicited for greater support for the foundation in it's work of making the society a better place for all.

The rallies took place in the five local government headquarters in Edo Central Senatorial District and was rounded off at Ekpoma. Youths across the Senatorial District promised to contribute to the emergence of a youth leadership in mobilizing and empowering communities to play active roles in bringing about behavioural change, initiating development, promoting good governance and adherence to the rule of law for the consolidation of peace and security. 

The high point of the rallies was the distribution of flyers of various inscriptions and speech by different youth groups.