2015 General Elections: The Critical Stakeholders and Why Things Must Change This Time Around

Once every 4 years, when the spirit of the elections are upon us, it is so certain that lives are lost in the process and this includes the lives of several youths. The targeted, are usually from poor backgrounds, the slums and the undergraduates; they look nothing like their children,who are secured away and on shopping sprees spending the loots of their elitist parent from inflated contracts and allowances.The parents of the poor especially the mothers are made to suffer agonies of being poor and the loss of the children they brought up through painstaking sacrifices, some in the midst of harassment while trying to survive. These same falsely elected politicians betray the youths when they get into office, not only that they antagonise the youth, they frustrate their efforts at getting an education that will enable them to become better people tomorrow. That’s when the politicians argue that, spending so much on job creation schemes,or micro finance or start up grants are” not budgeted for in this present budget,wait till next year” and cold heatedly refer them to self survival. Even more victimisation awaits them, where the very system meant to protect them, abuses and exploits them,through varying means of dashing hopes ie, recruitment scams and much more, what a show of love indeed! Now to the dear youths, I say ”nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent,your vote is your franchise, your power! Rather than mercenary in their hands, or selling your votes,stand firm in unity and engage the candidates, on “What the Youths really want”, Negotiate a better youth involvement in every policy area and implementation. Your vote is your franchise, tell your friends, take your friends along, go out and register, all go out and vote, decide today that not one,not two ,but NO youth at all shall die for the sake of any politician in the forthcoming 2015 elections. Abimbola Junaid is a UK Parliamentary Ambassador, a Development Practitioner with keen interest in Participatory Governance, Inclusion and Local Economy Development. Please Send your comments and enquiries to vastopps@gmail.com.