President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
has been urged to reflect inclusivity, professionalism and the significant influence of the youth population in the new administration.
The Women Leaders Assembly of Nigeria (WLAN), a national umbrella organization for women’s organizations and female youths, who gave the charge on Sunday,
claimed that this is an effort to close the skills gap between the older politicians and jobbers who have long held political sway in Nigeria and the current generation of Nigerians.
WLAN, had recently in a programme organised within the South-East geopolitical zone, called for a trans-generational leadership “that will take the country to the Promised Land of our forefathers after the continuous failure of the present crop of politicians and leaders at our various organs of government.”
The organisation, in a statement issued by the Convener, Dr Chichi Esther Ukamadu and Secretary, Hajia Maimuna Tahir on Sunday,
said it has become a reoccurring decimal and antecedence of the present crop of leaders to line their pockets, thinking of self rather than the public good and the collective aspirations of Nigerians.
The statement said it is very important to bring to the fore the strategic importance of equipping both the female and youthful population with the required skills of knowledge, governance for employment and entrepreneurship, so that the old politicians can easily hand over the rein of power to the young generation seamlessly for productivity, so as to place the country in the pedestal of comity of nations, where nations that have been on the same pedestal over decades, can be found.
According to statement: “As a women’s pressure group worldwide, we call on the present administration under President Tinubu as he is about constituting his cabinet to be wary of these group of people, politicians and self-centred, so-called leaders who are daily hobnobbing and ambushing the President at every forum or event.
“That Tinubu should work assiduously with the women and youth population of Nigeria, not forgetting the 35 per cent Affirmative Action on Women in governance to which Nigeria is a signatory. They gave an example of Kogi State that has domiciled this affirmative action by Governor Yahaya Bello, which they described as indeed unique and worthy of emulation.”
Accordingly, the women’s group noted that the President’s renewed Hope Agenda has genuinely motivated, improved and renewed the hopes of Nigerians, including the less-privileged and “anything short of using the women and youthful population with renewed energy, will be seen as a betrayal of the trust of Nigerians by the Tinubu administration.”
They also observed that a lot of the politicians seeking office once again are people with a lot of moral burden hanging on their necks, including graft issues with the various anti-graft agencies, bordering on corruption and official maladministration on their previous positions.
According to the statement “As the world undergoes rapid technological, economic and social transformations, such organizations in the country like the Ministry of Youths and Sports, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) and few others who are daily basking in the euphoria as change agents should be encouraged to do more.
“WLAN, therefore, reiterates that the women and youthful population need the right skills, experience, network and must be at the forefront of Nigeria’s and global efforts needed to reposition not only this administration, but the entire continent, must be adequately captured as the current President is a change agent and needs change champions that are motivated and highly skilled.”
