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2009 INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY – THE ABUJA EXPERIENCE
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Just saw my friends tweet that he was on his way to the eagle square. “wow! That sounds nice” I thought.

I took off and fled like an eagle bird and headed for the eagle square, which plays host to many national and international events in the Country.

However, I got down and saw apparently no sign of celebration happening there. “let me get closer and see” I soliloquised. Moving some meters forward towards the entrance, I saw the contingents from some states of the federation scantily dispersed around the parking lots, rehearsing their lines and decorating their carnival floats.

Finally, I was at the right place. It was 11.00 am by my clock and nothing was close to happening. The participants present could not even fill one of the pavilion where the bullet-proof glass demarcations were located. I was thinking the programme could possibly be a late afternoon event but was soon disillusioned when the programme kick-started with the few contingents from less than 23 states of the federation at about 1.00pm. Then I began to ask the questions – why do we have so poor state representations at the event? Could it be that the rest states were not invited or the states could not honour such invitation? Whatever the answers are, one thing was clear, the event, an annual event, once in the year, with global reckoning could not have meant less in the eyes of the States Ministries of Youth.
Be that as it may, one would have expected that youths from within Abuja will troop in en-mass and celebrate their day. However, the apartheid attitude of youth indexed by their low turn-out in the event was a pointer to two facts - either the youths are not happy for some particular reasons and developments in the country, or the federal ministry in charge ever hesitated publicity. Even with that, what will it cost the ministry to write some schools in Abuja and surrounding states (Nassarawa, Benue, Kogi and Niger) or even the NYSC to mobilize a select few delegates to the event. Am sure the youth corpers will be particularly care to attend.


Still pondering on the answer? Well, let me help you by saying the mood and tempo of the speaker of the National Youth Parliament (NYP) demonstrated a lot answering clues to the questions. First, He didn’t sit at the VIP’s segment until he was introduced, while some friends encouraged him to agree with the plea to join the high table. Reluctantly, he joined and acknowledged everybody on the high seat.

Similarly, when he was invited to deliver his speech, he was the first and only person to speak (and not deliver speech) offhand and passionately from his heart. You could read it in his lips that he was far from happy. But at the same time, he enjoyed his speech, ata least by mentioning that education can nail boko haram and Niger delta if the ASUU situation is addressed. That accorded him applause and a few ovations from participants, for his boldness to speak frankly on the issue.

In all, Benue State, Rivers, and Delta States emerged with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions respectively in the carnival anniversary dance and march pass. While Benue went with the sum of one hundred thousand naira, Rivers went with seventy five thousand naira and Delta went with fifty thousand naira. The presence of the UNFPA Country director and her team who came before the minister could not go unnoticed or unapplauded.

August 14, 2009 | 8:50 AM Comments  0 comments

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