Barrister Abdul-Raheem Adebayo Lawal, the deputy governor of Oyo State, has asked youths under the umbrella of Coalition of Youth Councils, Oyo Chapter, to continue supporting the administration of governor Seyi Makinde because it is working to advance youth.
He continued by noting that the youth are a big concern for the Makinde-led administration and that their physical and intellectual energies are important to the development of Oyo state.
Lawal asserted that if we don’t live for the youths, then for whom are we going to live? He emphasized that the Governor, in an act of kindness, appointed a young man, Victor Olojede as Special Assistant on Student Matters, stressing that youths largely dominated the formation of Makinde’s government.
The deputy governor made this statement on Wednesday when stakeholders from the Coalition of Youth Council met with him at the SSG Conference Hall to discuss their requests with the governor.
The Council, which consists of different groups, urged the governor’s administration to show the youth due consideration as well as to implement Omituntun 2.0 in a corrective manner that will accommodate their demands.
Led by Mogaji Joseph Tegbe, the youths demanded a meeting with Governor Makinde and asked how they would also be taken care of in terms of job opportunities and for the government to be aware of many of the things they are doing to support the Makinde-led administration, among other things.
One of the speakers, Fawole Isreal, who also represented the youth parliament, argued that people are hurt when they are not heard and people are healed when they are heard.
He claimed that the youth parliament under his supervision has been using their own money to support the Makinde’s administration and possibly attract public attention, but they have not received any compensation or adequate attention from the government.
He emphasized that the parliament is designed to be the house of legislative’s mirror, pleading with the government to give them an office so they may conduct their everyday business instead of frequently holding meetings in the House of Chiefs.
He also pleaded for mobility and a bus to increase the effectiveness of their movement.
But, in response to their demands, Bayo Lawal asked, “If we don’t live for you, who are we going to live for?” and urged them to interpret this to mean that Makinde’s administration will prioritize the needs of the young people.
He pointed out that a significant portion of what the government has accomplished has been for the youth from the perspective the government has operated, which are policies eradicating poverty, agricultural business to provide jobs for the youths, among others having a full direct impact on the youth.
Lawal emphasized that Olojede’s appointment as SA to students was made to demonstrate that the governor recognized the importance of young people and to ensure that they would receive more deliberate attention.
He added that anything coming from the youth must be properly challenged.
However, on his response to the request of a building for youth Parkiament activities, he instructed the SA on students to work with the ministry of youth for an alternative.
In addition, he urged the youngsters to be more focused and make sure that Governor Seyi Makinde is re-elected so that the current administration could demonstrate more suitable concern for the students through the ministry of youths and the office of the deputy governor.
Joseph Tegbe, who earlier in his remarks thanked the deputy governor for setting aside time to meet with the youths, hinted that the Governor specifically requested the meeting and added that the governor is really worried about their concerns.
According to Tegbe, despite the fact that there might be some moles whom the opposition parties may be trying to lure, you rejected the jaundice offer because of their commitment to the government of Makinde’s administration.
Tegbe appreciated them for conducting themselves in a rightful manner, saying that meeting with the deputy govebror is like meeting with the governor.
He appealed to them to see to the fact that they’ve been able to meet with the governor, assuring that the parley with the governor may be after the victory of the governorship election.
The youths who were moved by the manner at which the deputy governor addressed them vowed to intimate their colleagues on the positive outcome of the meeting and promised to mobilize strongly for the re-election of Governor Seyi Makinde on Saturday.
Those in attendance at the meeting include Chief Olajuwon Adelokun Subair (Mogaji Ile Nla) – Chairman Coalition of Youth Councils and Groups
Comrade Abdusalam Quadri – Chairman NYCN
Comrade Farayola Nurudeen – Chairman ARSOYOC
Comrade Akanbi Muideen – Leader NYCN
Asoju Odo Ramon Alawode – Chairman YCYW
Hon. Ajibola Idris – Irorun Solidarity Group
Mr Ifeoluwa Adebayo – member Steering Committee
Hon. Adebayo Akinola – Member OYP
Hon. Isreal Fawole – Speaker OYP
Hon. Zainab Popoola – Member OYP
Hon Ijaola Peter
– Mouthpiece NG.
