The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has tasked Nigerian youths on full participation in the 2019 electoral processes in order to ensure that only credible leaders emerged.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday, in Jos, Mr. Bulus Dabit, the Plateau State Director of NOA said that youths had a critical role to play in ensuring a progressive Nigeria.
“The greatest gift we can give this country this year is to ensure good leadership for this country; which can only be facilitated by full participation of youths in the electoral processes.
“They need to take control of the process to get the leadership they desire; and sitting on the fence will not ensure that,” he said.
He said youths were the future of the country and should determine how the economic and political affairs of the country were managed.
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Dabit disclosed that the agency had organised voter education in all the 17 local government areas of the state to sensitise the people on the need to come out en-mass to vote for leaders of their choice.
He, however, expressed worry that there was voter apathy because many Nigerians had lost confidence in the electoral system and needed to be reassured and encouraged to participate in the process again.
The director said that the voter education which commenced at the three senatorial zones was stepped down to local government level for greater impact.
“We are allaying the fears of Nigerians by reassuring them that the security agencies and other relevant organisations will ensure that their votes in the forthcoming elections count.
“We also discovered that many votes were rendered invalid because some people did not know how to vote, our outreaches are also to address that,’’ he said.
Dabit urged Nigerians to be patriotic by carrying out their civic responsibilities in order to fast track development. (NAN)