By Emmanuel Elebeke

Organised Labour has expressed satisfaction with the “Not Too Young to Run’’ law recently assented to by Presient Muhammadu Buhari, describing it as the President’s historic signature bill.

A National Executive Council, NEC, member of the union, Comrade Issa Aremu, who made the position known in a statement, yesterday, said the new Act would foster inclusiveness of youth in nation building as envisaged by UN Sustainable Development Agenda 2030.

 

He said only sustainable youthful employment and youth development programme could make Nigerian youth take full advantage of the recent  “Not Too Young to Run Bill” signed into law by President Buhari.

The labour leader, however, added that without full, decent sustainable employment and quality education, 10 million Nigerian unemployed youths “can hardly lead themselves, let alone lead a nation like Nigeria begging for fresh energy and ideas.

“The Not-Too-Young-to-Run Act must be complemented with “Not too-young-to-work”, “Not too-young-to-read and Acquire Skills” policy initiatives to rescue the youths from the current underdevelopment” the labour leader observed.

Aremu called for immediate implementation of youth policy recommendations in 2014 Confab in the areas of value adding preoccupation in productive enterprises and industries.

“Hungry, angry and ignorant youths can only lead a nation into disaster as witnessed by kidnapping gangs, Boko Haram insurgency and varying parallel violent underground societies led exclusively by some misguided youths,’’ he said.

In a related development, Comrade Aremu also hailed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for the recent successful prosecution and sentencing of the   former governor of Taraba State, Jolly Nyame, to 14 years imprisonment by Justice Adebukola Banjoko for acts of criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of the sum of N1.64 billion belonging to the state.

He said:   “Until Nigeria turns out Executive prisoners, there will not be an end to the current Executive reckless capture and looting of national commonwealth.

“There should be no tears for any governor who dares to violate oaths of office by substituting security and welfare of citizens for petty pilfering of state resources.”

He added  that civil societies, churches and faith based organizations should damn corrupt governors in general.

The court had ordered that all the funds previously recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission from aides to the ex-governor and other government officials involved in the scam be forfeited to the Taraba State government.