BEING THE TEXT OF ADDRESS BY THE CHAIRMAN BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE SOUTHERN YOUTH ASSEMBLY OF NIGERIA (SYAN) ON THE OCCASION OF THE 2023 INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY CELEBRATION

 

Fellow Nigerians youths and Nigerians at large, I wholeheartedly felicitate with you on this edition of the International Youth Day. It's indeed a thing of joy to witness another day duly set aside for youths across the globe. 

As we commemorate today, we must have a level of introspection about our dear country Nigeria, the place of the average Nigerian youth and the challenges that abound.  As a concerned youth/opinion leader in Nigeria and speaking in my capacity  as the founder, First Speaker and now chairman of the board of trustees of  the Southern Youth Assembly of Nigeria(SYAN), it is my prayer and hope that Nigeria pulls through the scorching period of challenges bedevilling it currently.

Consequently, I am calling on the President of the federal republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to accelerate the constitution of his cabinet - and inaugurate a strong national economic recovery team to salvage the free fall of the Naira and constant rise of PMS which has come with a deluge of adverse effects on the  Nigerian economy.

I am also calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to  declare a state of emergency of federal roads in the whole of southern Nigeria as 80% of the roads have become death traps. 

The need for job creation and human capital development cannot also be ignored. This can be achieved through industrialisation, establishment of skill and acquisition centres, grants and supports for talents and entrepreneurial startups.

The President should as a matter of practical necessity, speed up the process of minimum wage increment for Nigerian workers of which the youth constitute a reasonable percentage among them. 

I want to clearly condemn any use of force in resolving the Niger Republic leadership crisis; any attempt to jettison the call for a political solution will translate to violence and chaos which will have huge negative impact on the west Africa subregion.Moreso, an approach of dialogue should be implemented which will include a statement of request for plans for peaceful return to democracy to be supervised by the ECOWAS.

Finally, the President should bring more youths on board to serve in different capacities in his administration. This instills a fervid sense of belonging among Nigerian youths and will create  a sustainable master plan for continuity in leadership in  our dear country, Nigeria.

SIGNED

ESV Armstrong Ovie-Afabor ANIVS RSV. 

BOT chairman SYAN