The Minister of Youth and Sport, Solomon Dalong, has inaugurated the third session of the Nigerian Youth Parliament (NYP). He urged members to resist any attempt by the political class to manipulate them.
At the inauguration ceremony in Abuja, Dalung described as sad the involvement of youths in the ongoing ‘drama of embarrassment’ in the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN).
“The Nigerian youth must desist from offering themselves from cheap manipulation. If those manipulating us believe in us, then, they should invest in us, not using us for their selfish interest,” the minister said.
“After the inauguration today you all must purge yourself from the ‘ebola’ of manipulations and come back to your senses. If I have collected money back in our days I doubt if I would have been given the opportunity to be Minister of Youth today.
“I challenge all youth leaders gathered here that after this session they should go back and reorganize themselves, and I am ready to be part of them,” he said.
NYP was inaugurated in 2008 with the sole aim of preparing Nigerian youth in a decision making process while according them adequate representation in governance.
Before the NYP members proceeded to elect their speaker, Dalong further challenged them not to vote for anybody who has given them money because “such is buying you and if anybody has given you money to buy you, the person is not working for the youth but for the person who has sponsored him. We don’t want to inaugurate anyone into politics of money.” [FMYS]
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