International Youth Day celebration: Ganduje to Chair Summit, Tinubu's Ministers to be honored.
By: Oriaifoh Godwins
As the youths prepare for this year's International Youth Day, coming up later in August, individuals and personalities with outstanding performance records in their various fields of
endeavors and who have contributed immensely to the growth and development of humanity
in various facets of life, including some Ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, will be honoured with the award of the PLATINUM ACHIEVERS, as the summit will be Chaired by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Alhaji Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
Those to be honoured, include, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory,
Nyesom Wike, Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, the Minister of Youth
Development; Ayo Olawande and the Group Head of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company
Limited, Mele Kyari. Others include; the President of Senegal, Bassirou Diomanye Faye, the Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, Dr. Sule
Abdulaziz, the Executive Secretary of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, Prof. Garba
Sharubutu, the Managing Director of Felak Concept Limited, Mrs. Aisha Achimugu, the
Managing Director of Connexxion Group of Company Limited; Engr Maxwell Esan, and the Chairman, Kuje Area Council.
Also to receive the PLATINUM ACHIEVERS award, include the Managing Director, Afro Euro Investments, Omooba Ayoola
Adekunle, the Commandant General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, the Speaker, Osun state House of Assembly, Hon. Okowa-Daramola
Marilyn, Hon. Ibori-Suenu Erhiatake, Apostle Johnson Sulayman, Hon. Abdullahi Hallims, the Deputy Governor, Central Bank Corporate Services, Dr. Bala Mohammed, as well as the Governors of Benue, Kogi and Niger states.
The above was revealed by the Speaker, West Africa Youths Parliament, WAYP, Olasunkanmi John Kolawole, in a Press release, dated 10th June, 2024 and signed by the Speaker.
According to the press statement, "...these individuals, will also be honored for their meritorious and selfless sacrifices to humanity...".
"...this award which is a tradition, is in appreciation of their dedication, commitment and steadfastness in uplifting and touching several lives..."
"...by the authority of the parliament, we are using this medium to thank them and to encourage them to do more for the people noting that we cannot all do great things but can do little things with great love..."
This year's Lecture theme, according to the statement, will centre around regional integration, and Prof. Rasheed
Na’Allah, the Vice Chancellor, University of Abuja and supported by Amb. Francis Njoaguani, the Director
of Youths and Sports Development at the ECOWAS Secretariat; will deliver the lecture.
Also in the Press statement, the WAYP called on the multinational outfits in West Africa that have been distabilizing the region over the years to turn on a new leaf, saying plans are underway to send a high powered delegation to the military officers in control of governments in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, to convince them to return to the negotiating table so as to ensure social interaction amongst the West Africa Youths, as democracy is the way to sustainable growth and development.
The Speaker, in the press release, who stated that, the West Africa Youths, majority of whose backgrounds are tainted with shallow development, are prepared to liberate the region from foreign interference and subjugation, adding that, this year's Youth Day Celebration, that comes up in August of every year, is an avenue for consolidated reflection and a renewal of the hope for the region, as it is time for what he described as "critical thinking and proffering solutions".
Describing West Africa as the Pride of the Africa continent, he said; "...we are determined more than ever before to ensure unity, and consequently, the return of the Military administrations in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso back to democracy, as well as the return of the aforementioned countries back to the ECOWAS body.
The Speaker, said; "... we are bent on Democracy, and we are appealing to the military officers that truncated the democratic process in the aforementioned countries, to please, for the sake of the youths, return their countries to the practice of democracy, to ensure social integration amongst our youths, hence the maximisation of development in the subregion".
Continuing, he said; "...this year's International Youth Day, will be celebrated with a sober reflection and a desire to put the subregion on the path of unity. The interference of foreign multinationals to derail Democracy in our countries, must stop and our people should be allowed to govern themselves democratically...In the light of this, a high powered delegation has been put in place to open up discussion with the military of the three countries..."
Finally, the Press statement revealed that, the challenges of a United State of West Africa (USWA) sub region, the issues of a common
currency, a free Visa regime for cross country travelers and business men, issues of Youth empowerment,
Entrepreneurship, ICT innovation, cross border business expansion and regional partnership
within the sub region are issues that
will be discussed extensively during this year’s summit.