The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila says the House will reconvene plenary to address youth-related bills next week.
Gbajabiamila made the announcement on Saturday in Abuja, at a national strategy retreat organised by the Young Parliamentarians Forum (YPF) of the National Assembly.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the  retreat was titled, “Rethinking Youth Development in Nigeria”.

Gbajabiamila said that the retreat was coming at a time of a new and intense wave of restiveness sweeping across every part of our country.

The Speaker said that there is a large majority of young people who are tired of the way things are going.

He said the youth want to see rapid and progressive change in the structure of the country and in the practice of democratic government.

“We all know the House suspended plenary to consider the Budget which is a yearly thing we do to give time to pass the budget to maintain our January to December budget cycle.

“But I do intend to reconvene the House to consider a couple of very important things that will affect Nigerians such as the Electoral Law, the PIB and more importantly the Bills that are already in the system concerning the development of the youth.

“So we will hopefully by next week take one or two days to consider those bills and others.

“I will also want to encourage the young parliamentarians that we will give you all the support necessary.

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“You will agree with me that many times when we talk about the constitution, the makeup of Nigeria when we talk about the structure, when we sing the National Anthem when we talk about the pledge, we always refer nostalgically to our founding fathers.

“Many of them were not even fathers at that time, they were extremely young in their 20s.

“So I think it is time we stopped making reference only to our founding fathers or let those references be few.

“But let’s start talking about our modern fathers and mothers, those of us here the young people out there, this is your time, this is your moment, it is important that we seize it,” he said.

Gbajabiamila said the lawmakers should consider an amendment in the Constitution to the definition of Federal Character.

According to him, when we talk about Federal Character within the context of appointments, infrastructure and the rest of it in the Constitution, Federal Character as it is, is limited to where you are from, like your ethnicity.

“I think it is time that we expand the definition of Federal Character because the character of a Nation is not just based on your tribe.

“It is based on religion, it is based on where you are from, it is based on your sex, it is based on your age.

“So when you are talking about Federal Character you look at all those things and they are what make up the Federal Character.

“You talk about so so percentage of women, percentage of youth, that is the true meaning of Federal and I think that is what should be reflected in the constitution,” he said.

Gbajabimila said that the youth would be given more representation in the Special Committee on Constitutional Reform in the House.

He pledged to liaise with the Clerk, Mr Amos Ojo, to get a Secretariat for the YPF in the House.

The Chairman of the YPF, Rep. Kabir Tukura, said following the #ENDSARS protest the forum took some steps to ensure that the demands of the youth were met.

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He said that the demands are genuine saying that there is a need for a general overhaul of the way things are done especially in the security sphere.

Tukura said that the forum visited the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives and it was agreed that the YPF should come up with a white paper to be submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to him, young persons deserve a voice in this country, they deserve to be heard and treated fairly.

He said that treating young people fairly is to treat the citizens fairly as the youth constitute 70 per cent of the population.

He said the YPF had taken it upon itself to see that police brutality is brought to an end and to see that the ever increasing need for youth inclusion is addressed.

Tukura said that the house would reconvene to address the bill that seeks to establish the National Youth Development Commission.

According to him, another one is the bill that seeks to amend sections 171 and 208 of the Constitution; these sections give powers to the President and Governors to make appointments.

He said that the forum wants the sections amended to ensure young persons, women and people living with disabilities are considered for appointments.

He said if the youths make up 70 per cent of the population, such appointments is not too much to ask for.

The lawmaker said that the house had been very youth focused and the speaker had been very youth friendly.

The Director of Programmes, YIAGA-Africa, Ms Cynthia Mbamalu, congratulated the young parliamentarians for organising the event.

She said young Nigerians were fanning their office of the citizens and are demanding for a better Nigeria through the #EndSARS protest.

Mbalamu said that this was the time to collaborate with the National Assembly to deliver a new Nigeria to the youth.

According to her, we want to see the National Assembly champion this cause, the budget is a tool and we are looking forward to seeing the 2021 budget to be very youth inclusive.

Mbalamu said that Nigerians want to see compensation for victims of police brutality and prosecution of any police officers involved.

She said that the Nigerian youth and women were looking up to the National Assembly to speak for them and ensure their participation in government.

Also, the Country Director of ActionAid, Ms Ene Obi, described the meeting as very important at this point in time.

Obi said that over the weeks, Nigeria had some challenges which she blamed on the historical exclusion of the youth from political and economic spheres.

She expressed hope that the event would open the birth of legal framework that would enhance youth inclusion in the country.

Also, the Country Director, Westminister Foundation for Democracy, Mr Adebowale Olorunmola, said that more than ever before, it was time to rethink youth development in Nigeria.

He said it was time to create conducive environment for quality and affordable education for Nigerian youths.

According to him, with about 13 million young Nigerians out of school, there was an urgent need to address education sector.

He said that 70 per cent of the population which the youth represent was looking forward to  the forum for a new Nigeria.

Olorunmola urged the parliamentarians to use their oversight powers, allocation and lawmaking powers to address the demands of youths.

He charged the lawmakers to create a clear path for youths to participate in governance saying they must not wait until they are old to participate.

[NAN]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.vanguardngr.com/2020/10/we-will-reconvene-plenary-to-address-youth-bills-%25E2%2580%2595-gbajabiamila/amp/

For The First Time. and this could be a new Nigeria.

Youth bill kill all of you guys there. Third world legislators.

And this lawmakers are not tired of this their words " We will , we are going to .
Why

after every every it will end at the committee level........caveat emptor





believe them at your own peril

Nigeria will work again

I totally accede with him and of course,he's always making a lotta sense Also in terms of social infrastructure distribution,variables such as comparative advantage must be considered. So that ajaokuta and Kaduna refinery debacles will be avoided. The sighting of a factory in region A when the major raw materials needed for production is in region B does not make sense.

They have no choice..... The Minister of youth too, must be under 35 years........

If they don't, we know where you all reside..........

I am beginning to like this Gbajabiamila unlike that puppet in the Senate

realstars:
For The First Time. and this could be a new Nigeria.

Don’t bank on their words just yet. I’ll believe it when I see action.

Damnnnn Niggar .. issorites

yusufu16:
I am beginning to like this Gbajabiamila unlike that puppet in the Senate

Don’t let them fool you. They come out to say and act as if they are for the masses. It is obvious these people haven’t got the message.

Until the NASS stop their fraudulent constituency projects, stop padding our budget, propose a huge slash of their salaries and allowances which covers exotic jeep for useless oversight functions, enact laws to stop and punish looters of our public wealth and advance restructuring of this doomed nation then they are all rogues and robbers that they are and will continue to be. I have said it that the enemies of the Nigerian state and its poor masses are first the governors then lawmakers at all levels, before we talk of our zombies in uniforms both police, the military and other security agencies, Bubu not excluded.

Which useless youth bills? All the bills they have been making how has it advanced the welfare of the masses?

These looters called lawmakers are bleeding this nation economically and that is why we can never grow. Nigeria is beyond redemption. No hope at all.
When you listen to the utterances of these politicians, you realize that they have not got the message from the last protests.

I wish to use this medium to focus now on NASS. We must now help publicize #StopConstituencyAllowances.

No where in the world were lawmakers finance projects. We saw from the last protests how they hoarded many items worths several millions in their homes thereby personalizing our common wealth. Nigerian lawmakers like governors are our enemies. No wonder lawmakers contest for governorship and governors after their tenure aspire to be lawmakers.
https://autojosh.com/senator-dino-melaye-builds-gada-bridge-kogi-west-constituency-photos/

https://ab-tc.com/see-photo-of-a-cheap-bridge-constructed-by-desmond-elliot-in-his-constituency/

https://www.thecable.ng/amidst-criticism-bayelsa-lawmaker-defends-floating-toilet-project

Lives are wasting away in this country. The future of the youth looks bleak. The best over 90% can get is a 70k job.

Tired is an understatement. And a danger is hanging in the recess. A time is coming that politicians will begin to live in fear. No amount of security would safe them. It's almost too late to change things now. But we can still start.

the lackluster FEDERAL CHARACTER COMMISSION is a tool for oppression, a joke and a national disaster.

The guy seems to more active compared to Ahmed Lawan.

Another avenue to loot the country dry
Youth bill wey na old people go chop the money finish
Same way they fed invincible school children,in their parents home..
Make them no worry,a total overhaul is coming

Protest by sensible youths is paying off at last.
Naija go better.

Awon were

Reconvene and deliberate on the possible ways of slashing your jumbo pay packages and other conduit pipes.

Fighting this with one mind now as youths , but when something goes wrong some tribes will shift it to the other .. Blame games comes in . Use Ur head

Good governance is what we need not Youth this or youth that! Anything plenary that doesn't involve drastically reducing cost of governance is as useless as uselessness itself. Evil communication corrupts good manner: Desmond Idiot and Yahaya Below is a perfect example of that. If you people like create 70million youth program. Every one of them will be converted to looting machine.
Chinese executes corrupt politicians and office holders, here we celebrate them. Address them as honourable! Tufiakwa! There is honour in begging, is it then looting and stealing that will have honour.

Only if not empty talk as usual

iwaeda:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.vanguardngr.com/2020/10/we-will-reconvene-plenary-to-address-youth-bills-%25E2%2580%2595-gbajabiamila/amp/

The future is now.......


Those politicians are only there for their selfish interests......


Dem no send us at all......

Get ur PVC lets boot dem out 2023.......

God Bless Nigeria......

Nigeriadondie:

Don’t let them fool you. They come out to say and act as if they are for the masses. It is obvious these people haven’t got the message.

Until the NASS stop their fraudulent constituency projects, stop padding our budget, propose a huge slash of their salaries and allowances which covers exotic jeep for useless oversight functions, enact laws to stop and punish looters of our public wealth and advance restructuring of this doomed nation then they are all rogues and robbers that they are and will continue to be. I have said it that the enemies of the Nigerian state and its poor masses are first the governors then lawmakers at all levels, before we talk of our zombies in uniforms both police, the military and other security agencies, Bubu not excluded.

Which useless youth bills? All the bills they have been making how has it advanced the welfare of the masses?

These looters called lawmakers are bleeding this nation economically and that is why we can never grow. Nigeria is beyond redemption. No hope at all.
When you listen to the utterances of these politicians, you realize that they have not got the message from the last protests.

I wish to use this medium to focus now on NASS. We must now help publicize #StopConstituencyAllowances.

No where in the world were lawmakers finance projects. We saw from the last protests how they hoarded many items worths several millions in their homes thereby personalizing our common wealth. Nigerian lawmakers like governors are our enemies. No wonder lawmakers contest for governorship and governors after their tenure aspire to be lawmakers.
https://autojosh.com/senator-dino-melaye-builds-gada-bridge-kogi-west-constituency-photos/

https://ab-tc.com/see-photo-of-a-cheap-bridge-constructed-by-desmond-elliot-in-his-constituency/

https://www.thecable.ng/amidst-criticism-bayelsa-lawmaker-defends-floating-toilet-project

You no yarn dust bro.....


If only the youths will be united to kick dem out 2023.....

Dis administration is full of liers....

ILoveDemMANNA:
Protest by sensible youths is paying off at last.
Naija go better.

SHUT UP!!!

YOUR OPINION MEANS NOTHING

helinues:
Only if not empty talk as usual

SHARAAAAAP!!!

Youths that have been reduced to praise singers that dance to the tune of looters of national treasury.
They are sent fight and kill themselves over those in power who loot and make friends their own selves.

Right step.