By: Precious Erugo
Youth in the present day governance system in Nigeria, placed high value to youth inclusiveness .
They constitute a reasonable percentage of community population and must be taken seriously. It is not a mean fact to see that electing the leadership of any youth body in any community takes a lot to achieve , since they are very vital in governance , both traditionally and political.
In Nigeria, where democracy is practiced , youth leaders take center stage in all political parties.
The various political parties have their youth leaders, communities across the country have their community youth leaders.
This is not new in Nigeria and youth are allowed to handle their affairs by themselves especially when it comes to electing their leadership.
Elders don’t interfere, but they give advise neither are they expected to install any supervisory body over them.
In Ibusa, Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State, the election of a new youth executives has become an issue that has kept the entire community sleepless and so tensed that the fragile nature can snowball into crisis anytime if not properly handled.
In an investigation conducted ,it was discovered that the Youth Council elections were originally scheduled for April last year, 2024.
But at the request of the executive Chairman of the local Government, the youth council Exco led by Chief Ifeanyi Asiodu agreed to postponed the election to address other pressing issues at that time, like the local government election and some youth crises in Ibusa.
The Ibusa Youth Council has always Operated under a well defined constitution, particularly under Section 13, which empowers the youth President to constitute electoral committee that can carry out their duties independently.
Moreover, after few months of not conducting a fresh youth election, Ibusa Youths became worried that a new exco was supposed to have emerge and it was based on this public outcry and petitions that prompted the setting up of an electoral committee as required by Ibusa Youth Council Constitution, Section (13) to oversee the election process of the incoming executives.
According to the outgoing chairman, Eleven Man Electoral Committee and three advisory members was set up and the Committee was headed by Barrister E. Charles Nwaogwugwu as Chairman and Amb.Vincent Oliminah as secretary respectively.
The electoral body was inaugurated to conduct and to usher the new executives who in turn paid a courtesy visit to HRM Obi Prof. Louis Nwoboshi, the Obuzor of Ibusa along with his council of chiefs and he was briefed on activities and the readiness of the committee to conduct a free and fair election and in response, the Obuzor of Ibusa commended the committee for doing a good job and promised that he will stand by them to play his advisory role as stated in Ibusa youth council constitution.
The committee also paid a courtesy visit to the Local Government Council Chairman, Hon. Innocent Esenwezie ,they equally briefed him of their readiness to perfect and conduct a transparent youth election come February 2nd 2025, the council chairman pleaded his total support to enable them conduct a peaceful election.
Few days to the election, HRM Obi Prof. Louis Nwoboshi called a stakeholders meeting requesting for the postponement of the election date saying that he will reconvene another meeting of which he did and it was alleged after the meeting that the council chairman boastfully stated that he will singlehandedly produce the next Ibusa youth Council President.
To the greatest surprise of the committee, a new list Electoral Committee members was released from the palace in which seventy percent of the previous names was removed and new names of people who are above the age bracket of youths was added including the name of a Chief Priest of Ibusa was included, what a magic?
From all indication, it will not be wrong if we conclude that the local government chairman is trying to manipulate the palace because the new names added are his bosom friends besides,HRM Obi Prof. Louis Nwoboshi does not have the constitutional right to inaugurate Igbuzo youth electoral committee according to section (12 )of Ibusa Youth Council Constitution, the Obuzor has only advisory role to play and the Obuzor position as pertaining to the youth is advisory role only.
It is therefore, worrisome to note that the election of a new youth body in Igbuzor has attracted the interests of the power brokers in the kingdom.
This is a very bad and is already brewing anarchy and breach of peace if not properly handled.
Most of the aggrieved youths are calling for immediate withdrawal of the Obuzor and the Local Government Council Chairman from the affair of the youth election and to allow the initial list of electoral committee already inaugurated by Chief Ifeanyi Asiodu led EXCO to stand for the best interest of our community and the youths.