HON. ARK URGES YOUTHS ON POLITICAL PARTICIPATION: “IT’S NIGERIA’S CALL, LET’S OBEY”, CELEBRATES HON. DAYO ISRAEL ON HIS NEW ROLE
By Oki Samson, Trek Africa Newspaper
L-R: Member, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Adedamola Richard Kasunmu (ARK) with the National Youth Leader, All Progressive Congress, APC, Hon. Dayo Israel
Over time, it is observed that the level of youth participation in Nigerian politics is low. The reasons cited include abysmal performance of successive governments, disinterest in governance by the youths themselves, and lack of inclusion among others. But no nation can grow without youth involvement.
This is why the Honorable Member of Lagos House of Assembly (representing Ikeja Constituency 2), Hon. Adedamola Richard Kasunmu is charging Nigerian youths towards robust participation in politics.
Popularly called Hon. ARK, he made this call at the celebration of the emergerce of Hon. Dayo Israel as the new National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) over last weekend. He asserted: ‘Youths have to come together, come out en masse, get your PVCs, vote your candidate, and assert your level of responsibility. I always say that if the youths continue to sit down, who are we to complain because if you are not part of the decision making, why do you want to be a part of the complaints.
L-R: Member, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Adedamola Richard Kasunmu (ARK) with the National Youth Leader, All Progressive Congress, APC, Hon. Dayo Israel.
That is the modus operandi that we should operate. As long as the system allows your full potential to perform your civic responsibility as a youth of eligible age, nothing stops you being part of the decision making that the party and INEC has gracefully created. We can only do it by collaboration. The national anthem says it, “it’s Nigeria’s call, let’s obey”.
‘Like Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu says ‘power is not served a la carte’, you have to actually work for it and make it happen. If the youths continue to stand aloof and are not concerned with what is going on, then we will never actually make it. For instance, you made a reference to me being a member of the Lagos House of Assembly for 2 terms. It is because we had the opportunity to be part of the 30% youth inclusion in the scheme of things. We are hoping that the percentage will go to 50%. It is depending on our level of commitment and drive in making sure that we, the youths, will be as committed as possible and politically driven towards a better future’, he told Trek Africa Newspaper.
L-R: Member, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Adedamola Richard Kasunmu (ARK) with the Vice Chairman, Ikorodu Local Govt, Hon. Princess Folashade Olabanji-Oba during the APC National Youth Leader’s Thank You Dinner at Watercress Hotel, Ikeja
Speaking further on the need for every sector of society to be involved, Hon. Kasunmu added: ‘The Nigeria of our dreams is a Nigeria that we can achieve with old and young, men and women in the picture but it is not something to be done alone, you have to share from the elder’s thinking cap when it comes to issues of the nation and moving forward. We can’t just go there and grab power, that is not where it stops.’
‘We have to do it with zeal, enthusiasm, and encouragement so that even our fathers and leaders will see us as people who are ready to take the nation to greater heights. It has been done before when the likes of Yakubu Gowon and others made feats years before now. We need to stay committed, stay true to ourselves, and stay true to active democracy in tandem with the federal system of government. It can happen with collaboration, peace, tact, and of course, we are born to engage in democracy not by guns but by words of wisdom and actions for even those yet unborn.’
L-R: Youth Leader, All Progressive Congress, APC, Lagos State, Dr. Seriki Muritala Ishola with Member, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Adedamola Richard Kasunmu (ARK) during the APC National Youth Leader’s Thank You Dinner at Watercress Hotel, Ikeja.
His eulogy to Hon. Dayo Israel who is the new National Youth Leader of the governing party, All Progressives Congress, ‘We, members of the youth constituency, are elated at the news knowing fully well that he is a youth himself and that it is unprecedented at the national level. Gone are the days when we have 60-year-olds representing us at the party as National Youth Leader.’
‘It is time for young, vibrant, and astute politicians who are well-informed in the grassroots and who have the capacity to drive the that the nation to the future. I can only extend my sincere congratulations to my very own brother and friend, Dayo Israel for having attained such a feat’, Trek Africa Newspaper reports.
