A new youth movement, We2gedaNG, has opened the conversation for renewed political dispensation and a platform to mobilise young people for good and quality leadership in Nigeria.
Besides the move for the new order, the movement vowed to eliminate politics of godfatherism, moneybags, and thuggery ahead of the 2023 general election.
Speaking at the inauguration of We2gedaNG movement in Kano, the Convener and Chairman, Board of Trustees of the group, Ibrahim Abdulkareem, declared that despite all odd, the Nigerian youths are strategically positioned to take their own destiny headlong.
AbdulKareem explained that We2gedaNG was initiated out of a passion to reunite the young generation of Nigeria regardless of religion, tribal and political sentiment and build a transparent and competent leadership structure in the country.
While he regretted that the present leadership of the country has failed to rescue Nigeria from its perpetual economic woo and security instability, Abdulkareem said the situation is equally worrisome with the rate of youth hopelessness as a result of poor policy of the government for youth development.
Although the convener revealed that the mission of We2gedaNG is basically premised on building youth that will develop new Nigeria, he emphasised the readiness to engage those aspiring to lead through the social network.
“It is no longer business as usual. We would not allow anybody to use and dump us the youth anymore. We have come to realise that it is only during elections that politicians use religion and tribal sentiment to canvass support. This time it will not work.
“We are ready to eliminate godfatherism in our politics, moneybags will not work. We would not allow them to use young people as thugs. We are ready to mobilise and rehabilitate the youths and ensure they know the right direction.
“We will use social media network to engage and evaluate aspiring leaders. It is time the government must value the life of the youth. We are not part of the decision making and unfortunately, when the decision is taken, it is to our detriment. We will raise an army of youth that will build new Nigeria that will work for us,” Abdulkareem declared.
Reeling out their strategic roadmap, a member of We2gedaNG trustees, Dr. Anas Balarabe Yazid, who explained the movement is raising N2 billion to fund their activities nationwide, clarified that no political figure or foreign agency is bankrolling the group.
Yazid said the group is ready to mobilise maximum support for any young aspirant willing to contest elective positions in the 2023 election but strictly by conditions that such candidates will match the manifestos and yearnings of the people.
“Although we will not allow political influence to bridge our ranks, we would support any competent and quality youth willing to contest next year’s election. The political party where he comes from does not matter to us.
“What matters to us is competency to deliver on our manifestos. After the willing election, we would continue to monitor and evaluate the person and whenever he or she deviate, we would commence immediately the process of recalling the person. It is important to state that our movement is not being funded by any politician or foreign organisation. We are independent-minded people building a changing society,” Yazid noted.
