Group Solicits Support for PWDs
A non Governmental Organization, Raising New Voices Initiative, has lamented that Nigerian youths have remained marginalised in politics despite the passage of the NotTooYoungToRun bill into law, due to the high cost of nomination forms and irregularities in the conduct of party primaries.
The organisation revealed that 67 million youths, 29.7 million persons with disabilities are marginalized and 49.34% female citizens are being limited in their aspirations by inequality.
The Executive Director of the NGO, Adebanke Ilori made this known in Abuja at the unveiling of the inaugural set of the new voices candidates in the 2019 elections to the House of Representatives.
He said the high cost of nomination forms which has continued to sideline this category of aspirants who cannot afford the cost and made equal representation impossible.
“Our plan is to crowd fund the campaign of these capable leaders by requesting 200,000 Nigerians who believe that we can begin to reform our country from the parliament, from our laws and policies, who believe that our generation needs to start from securing positions and making impact in the National Assembly, who believe that irrespective of the persons elected to the Presidency, we can get Nigeria on the path towards fulfilling its destiny.”
“Some of the youths have been sidelined by the unfortunate incidence of high cost of nomination forms and irregularities in the conduct of party primaries, an action which the initiative condemn in the strongest of terms. Meanwhile, some young people have emerged victorious as the flag bearers of their parties in the upcoming 2019 elections and shall be representing their parties on the ballot boxes as aspirants to the House of Representatives.
He noted that the organisation represents new voices and faces of good governance, selfless leadership, accountability and transparency.
He further said, “We speak as a voice for the 67 million marginalized youths, the 29.7 million persons with disabilities, our 49.34% female citizens who are being limited in their aspirations by inequality, the over 13.5 million children out of school, the 61.6% of Nigerian youths who are unemployed and every other Nigerian who has time and time again put his or her hope in Nigeria with little or nothing to show for it.”
“We speak as a generation who must answer the call of destiny to consciously build a better nation. It is for the future of the 21,000 babies born daily in our country, the population of 400 million that we will have by 2037, 200 million of which will be under the age of 20 that we speak, assuming the duty of care we owe our nation, to give our all to building, nurturing, promoting and strengthening her.”
Ilori called on Nigerians to donate N5000 to fund the campaign of 25 young candidates, 19 males and 6 females 1 of whom is a Person Living with Disability (PWD) chosen from the six geopolitical zones, running for legislative positions in the forth coming election