Youths in Plateau State have been advised to contest elective positions in the 2015 general elections. The call was made by the Young Aspirants Leadership Fellowship on Monday at a forum organised in Jos supported by the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP).

The forum afforded youths the opportunity to discuss their participation in politics and proposed registration of a youth based political party where their voices will be heard and issues concerning them tackled.

Youths in Plateau State have been advised to contest elective positions in the 2015 general elections. The call was made by the Young Aspirants Leadership Fellowship on Monday at a forum organised in Jos supported by the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP).

The forum afforded youths the opportunity to discuss their participation in politics and proposed registration of a youth based political party where their voices will be heard and issues concerning them tackled.

Comrade Gad Peter who spoke at the forum called on the youths to take their destiny in their hands as leadership will not be handed to them on a platter of gold by the older politicians. The youths were advised to contribute towards nation building rather than waiting forever as “leaders of tomorrow” that would never come.

Gad said: “As youths, we need to speak to ourselves, unite and push our issues in unison. Youths’ presence in politics is not impressive and no much impact is felt in governance. No aspirant in the state is within the age bracket of between 42 and 45 years.”

He added “People like Yakubu Gowon, Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Muhammed Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida among others had been leaders since their youthful days but today, youths at 35 years are still at home struggling to feed from their parents’ pots.”

The leader of the youths, Jacob Pwakim stated that the forum was designed to identify, train and mentor youths for elective positions in the country.

Partakers at the forum included former student union leaders and Councillorship aspirants in the state.

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Plateau youths advised to contest elections