Jega: Gov’t, political parties neglect young people

A former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, yesterday said young people between the ages of 15 and 35 years are not actively involved in the country’s politics and governance. 

He spoke at a convocation lecture at Nile University, Abuja. He said policy makers and political parties were insensitive to the plight of the youth.  

He said youth constituted huge segment of the population but were bedeviled by illiteracy, poverty, disempowerment, and therefore with a huge potential for destabilization.

“I argue that this serious matter of the neglect and disempowerment of our youth it is so, because essentially, our brand of leaders seem to lack enlightened self-interest; they conflate narrow-minded short term selfish interests, with community or national interest; they are generally reckless and backward in their worldviews, and therefore seem incapable of catalyzing constructive roles for the youth,” he said.

He added that political leaders constructed an elitist narrative of being concerned with the affairs of the youth, but make no substantive effort in policies or programs to address their plight and government had failed to harness the demographic asset which young people are into a dividend for national development.