Soludo, Ekpo urge South-East youths to get more involved in governance

FORMER Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has urged youths in the South-East to get involved in the socio-political and economic governance of the country.

Soludo gave the advice while speaking on how to galvanize the industry and ideas of the South-East to reposition the country in a summit held in Enugu on Thursday. The summit, which was tagged “The Enugu (South East) Forum”, was themed: “Big Ideas Podium.”

The former CBN boss noted that the various big ideas of youths in the region would remain untapped if they do not get actively involved in governance to move the nation forward.

He noted that the days of simply sharing oil money is already passing away; adding: “What we need to move the region and nation forward is bright and effective ideas, which I believe the seas of youth here today can come up with.”

“If you sit down at your comfort zone and say it does not concern me. Then, who do you expect to turn things around for the better in the country.”

“The citizens especially the youths are the most effective change agents.”

“The youths and everybody in the region should get involved, or stop complaining.”

“Since you must rise up to work out the needed change you want to see and feel through your big and brilliant ideas to move this great country,” he said.

The former Vice Chancellor of University of Uyo, Prof Akpan Ekpo, said that elsewhere in developing countries; big and great ideas from youths had helped to advance these countries.

“The country today needed result-oriented intellectual capacity more than the black gold (crude oil).”

“The country needed young men and women with the zeal and commitment to give it a new productive human capital edge over other countries,” he said.

Prof Osita Ogbu, Director, Institute of Development Studies, noted that the lack of interest of some people of the region to issues of governance was becoming worrisome.

Ogbu called on the people of the region to participate in socio-political and economic developments; adding that they should get involved and ask their leaders progressive questions.

“You should engage and hold your leaders accountable from the budget plan, implementation and even evaluation,” Ogbu, who was a National Economic Adviser under President Olusegun Obasanjo, said.

The Co-ordinator of the forum, Prof Ufo Okeke-Uzodike, said that the policy dialogue was important and healthy, especially in a democratic setting, for effective governance.

“Democratic spaces are unique because they enable public participation and dialogues on policy between the governed and the government.”

“In this way, the public space is energised and opened up for engagement and policy bargaining among government, business and citizens through civil society organisations,” Okeke-Uzodike said.

The coordinator noted that “there is a compelling evidence that governments could perform best when forced to be accountable to the public.”

The forum is being anchored by the African Heritage Institution (Afri-Heritage), formally known as the African Institute for Applied Economics (AIAE), Enugu.