The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, PhD. has said that the Green Chamber would hold dialogue with the Nigerian youth twice a year to hear their plight on a continuous basis with a view to addressing them.
At an unprecedented town hall meeting with various youth groups and organisations drawn from across the country at the National Assembly on Wednesday, the Speaker also pledged that the House would give four slots of Senior Legislative Aides to the various youth groups to serve as a link between the House and the Nigerian youth.
Speaker Abbas promised to take all the issues raised by the youth groups to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for consideration and possible resolution.
The Speaker convened the town hall meeting with the Nigerian youth as part of the implementation of the Legislative Agenda of the 10th House.
The town hall meeting, supported by Yiaga Africa, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, and the European Union, had in attendance leaders and members of several national youth-based civil society, socio-cultural, politics and academic groups, including the National Association of Nigerian Students.
Prominent among the groups at the town hall meeting were the National Youth Council of Nigeria; Nigerian Youth Parliament; Youth Crisis Awareness and Peace Forum; Northern Nigeria Students’ Forum; Active Youth Group; Nigeria Youth Organization; Niger Delta Youth Parliament; Youth Assembly of Nigeria; Nigeria Youth Future Fund; Northern Youth Democratic Agenda; West Africa Youth Congress; Anglican Youth Fellowship; Arewa Youth Forum; ILEAD Africa; Obiama Uboma Youth Forum; Abuja Original Inhabitants’ Students’ Forum, among many others.
Also from the Federal Executive Council were the Coordinating Minister of Health & Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate; and the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Doris Nkiruka Uzoka-Anite, who spoke on the people-oriented programmes and policies of the Tinubu administration.
The representatives of the youth groups had the opportunity to ventilate their views regarding their plight, calling for urgent action on the part of the government.
The Speaker, in his keynote address, told the youths that “I have invited you here today to address pressing issues of urgent public importance.”
He said: “You have raised your voices, calling for an end to hunger, a reduction in the cost of living, an improvement in the minimum wage, and enhanced human capital development. These demands, though varied, converge on a single, powerful call for a better quality of life for all Nigerians.
“Addressing you today is one of the most important functions I have undertaken as the Speaker of the House of Representatives. As a father, I am driven by a desire to leave a better Nigeria for my children and their children. It is also my dream for all of you.
“Our purpose today is not to intimidate, entice, buy off, or stifle your constitutionally enshrined powers of free expression. Rather, it is to create a formal avenue of regular engagement, ensuring that your voices are heard at the highest levels of government. My message to you today is that ‘your voice matters, and we are listening.”‘
Speaker Abbas, however, noted that expressing grievances or calling for protest is only the first step in the dialogue chain. He stated that the town hall was a platform for “frank, respectful, and constructive engagement.” He stressed the importance of being “rebels with a cause rather than anarchists,” stating that, “You are responsible for proving your critics wrong by demonstrating a commitment to constructive engagement.”
On the planned protest, the Speaker told the Nigerian youth that although they have the right to embark on such an action, “In most cases, protests do not solve problems. If they are hijacked by hoodlums, the whole essence of the protest will be lost. So, I want to urge you, as your representatives, if you can shelve it, we will guarantee that all the issues that you brought before us today are taken to the government and actions must be taken.”
The Speaker also stated that it is crucial to understand that meaningful reform often requires time and consensus, particularly for issues embedded in statutory and constitutional frameworks. He added that incremental change is vital, and your engagement is essential.
He, therefore, urged all stakeholders to “work together on a sustained, step-by-step basis to address our challenges and achieve the Nigeria we all aspire to see.”
Speaker Abbas said: “I urge our youth to actively participate in the democratic process, work through the National Assembly, and push for reforms. The House is the most representative Assembly in Nigeria, representing 360 Federal Constituencies. We represent every Nigerian, young and old. You have elected us to serve you and must trust us to do the job together.
“On this note, I commit to taking the resolutions of this town hall to President Tinubu along with representatives of the youth organisations. Together, we will ensure that your concerns are addressed and that we build a better Nigeria. Your voice matters and we are listening.”
The Speaker pointed out that addressing economic hardship is a priority for the current administration, just as he said the government understood the economic challenges and was already implementing specific interventions.
“The removal of the fuel subsidy, while necessary to eliminate a corrupt and harmful scheme, has come with measures to cushion its effects. Several government intervention schemes are intended to provide urgent economic relief for Nigerians,” he said.