·Want all detained demonstrators out of prison as part of conditions for credible exercise
President Bola Tinubu's announcement of the "gathering of a National Youth Conference" to address the issues raised by protesters during the August #EndBadGovernance protests is generating mixed reactions.
Whereas the step has been hailed in some quarters as one in the right direction, others raise concerns about participation and how delegates to the conference would emerge.
Those in the latter group hope the loyalists of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) would not dominate the talk shop, thereby making nonsense of the conference.
They demanded inclusivity in representation while specifically saying detained protesters should be immediately released and included as delegates to the Confab to give the exercise credibility.
Other demands include guarantees that Confab resolutions would be implemented and the report would not go the way of previous exercises which reports were left to gather dust on the shelf.
The holding of a National Youth Conference that would last 30 days was one of the major issues highlighted by Tinubu in his Independence Day Speech on October 1.
The President had said: "As we work to overcome the challenges of the day, we remain mindful of the next generation as we seek to galvanize their creative energy towards a better future.
"We lead today with the future we wish to bequeath to our children in focus, recognizing that we cannot design a future that belongs to them without making them its architects.
"Considering this, I am pleased to announce the gathering of a National Youth Conference.
"This conference will be a platform to address the diverse challenges and opportunities confronting our young people, who constitute more than 60 per cent of our population.
"It will provoke meaningful dialogue and empower our young people to participate actively in nation-building.
"By ensuring that their voices are heard in shaping the policies that impact their lives, we are creating a pathway for a brighter tomorrow.
"The 30-day Confab will unite young people nationwide to collaboratively develop solutions to issues such as education, employment, innovation, security, and social justice.
"The modalities of this Confab and selection of delegates will be designed in close consultation with our young people through their representatives.
"Through this Confab, it will be our job as leaders to ensure that their aspirations are at the heart of the conference's deliberations.
"The government will thoroughly consider and implement the recommendations and outcomes from this forum as we remain resolute in our mission to build a more inclusive, prosperous, and united Nigeria".
He had previously said in a broadcast on the fourth day of the #EndBadGovernance protests held across the country in August that government would engage protesters in a dialogue on their demands.
The protests themselves had turned violent in some cities even as the police were accused of crackdown on protesters.
Some of the protesters arrested during the protests are still in detention.
The #FearlessInOctober protests, staged on October 1, were a follow-up to the #EndBadGovernance protests.
Civil Society Organizations, CSOs, who spoke to Sunday Vanguard, last week, challenged Tinubu to made clear issues on the proposed Confab in terms of participants, methodology and framework, and implementation of resolutions and decisions reached.
However, they condemned the clampdown on peaceful #FearlessInOctober protesters by security agents.
Clampdown on October 1 protesters undermines democratic principles - ANEEJ
The Executive Director, Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ, Rev David Ugolor, said, "The clampdown on the October 1 nationwide protesters is deeply concerning, as it touches on crucial issues of civil liberties, human rights, and democratic governance.
"Peaceful protests provide a legitimate means for citizens to voice their concerns and demand accountability.
"Using force or intimidation to suppress these demonstrations undermines democratic principles and risks further eroding public trust in institutions.
"The phrase, 'Revolution Now,' widely used in these protests, is often misconstrued as a call for violence, but it actually reflects a demand for urgent government intervention and significant reform.
"The protesters were not advocating for chaos; rather, they were voicing deep frustration with governance and highlighting the failure of dialogue or reform to address systemic issues, with little hope for change."
Meanwhile, the ANEEJ boss commended Tinubu for taking the initiative to hold a Youth Confab.
His words: "President Tinubu's announcement of a youth forum is a commendable step towards engaging young people in national discourse.
"You will recall that several youths were involved in the #EndSARs protest and the #EndBadGovernance protests where many issues and demands were raised.
"Perhaps the President is trying to accommodate those issues.
"However, the widespread concern that the forum may be dominated by loyalists of the ruling party is an issue for concern but let us watch to see how the selection of the delegates would be.
"For the forum to be credible and effective, it must represent a broad spectrum of youths from all backgrounds, states and political parties. "Activists from movements like #EndSARS, #EndBadGovernance and #FearlessInOctober, who have been vocal about social justice and governance reforms, should be included.
"Their experiences and perspectives are crucial for reflecting the diverse challenges faced by Nigerian youths while ensuring the forum doesn't just echo government-friendly views, but also address the harsh realities on the ground.
"The strength of democracy lies in its ability to embrace different viewpoints. Inviting the opposition to the table is a commitment to transparency, accountability and progress.
"The proposed youth forum should be inclusive, diverse, and transparent to genuinely reflect the needs and aspirations of the Nigerian youth.
"This suggestion is driven by several factors. Firstly, there are legitimate concerns that the forum might be dominated by loyalists of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
"If this happens, it risks marginalizing independent voices and individuals from other political affiliations, making the forum appear biased.
"To address the broad spectrum of issues facing Nigerian youths, the membership should include representatives from youth groups, civil society organizations, and activists from movements like #EndSARS, #EndBadGovernance and #FearlessInOctober. "Furthermore, the selection process for members must be transparent and open, to avoid any perception of bias.
"Clear membership criteria, developed with input from independent bodies, civil society organizations, and youth groups, will be critical to ensure fairness and inclusivity.
"For me, it offers an opportunity for dialogue on issues concerning the youths. It has the potential to make a meaningful difference and shift the government's approach to engaging with its citizens.
"It would signal that government is willing to listen to the youths and seriously address the pressing issues they face. This step could be crucial in tackling the challenges that have led to widespread discontent across the nation.
Concerns on implementation of recommendations
"My concern, however, is whether the government will implement the outcome of the dialogue.
"You can recall Nigeria has had some converging in the past where the reports were left to gather dust in the shelves.
"I hope this proposed youth dialogue will not suffer the same fate.
"It will depend on the process if it will not be politicized. The quality of participation will certainly determine the outcome.
"If the government chooses to patronize their traditional political constituency and ignores the critical groups, the National Youth Conference will fail.
"Do you think the government is genuinely keen to engage or use the conference to manipulate the public and keep the people busy? Time will tell.
"You can't keep the protesters in prison and begin to engage without addressing their concerns. President Tinubu should release all the protesters from prison to demonstrate his genuine commitment to engage. Allow the people to co-create the engagement process and provide an enabling environment.
"One of the immediate demands requiring attention is the release of the over 2,400 protesters, many of whom are youths who were motivated to challenge the hardship and hunger exacerbated by current government policies that have yet to bring tangible improvements to their lives.
"Addressing these demands would help build a foundation of trust between the government and its citizens, creating an environment for meaningful dialogue and engagement.
"Additionally, the government must develop a clear and actionable plan to address the issues raised during the forum. This would not only facilitate ongoing engagement but also hold the government accountable for the commitments made. By doing so, the forum could empower young people and strengthen trust between them and state institutions."
Yiaga Africa boss lists three conditions
The Executive Secretary, Yiaga Africa and Convener of the Not Too Young to Run Movement, Samson Itodo, on his part, spoke on his expectations on the shape, participants, age of those qualified, format, framework, timelines and implementation of the resolutions of the proposed Confab while criticizing the police clampdown on protesters.
Itodo stated: "The conference is coming against the background of the discontent expressed by the young people through the #EndBadGovernance protests, and the President should be commended for creating a platform for engaging young people on fundamental issues that played out the development.
"So I think it is good the President is convening this conference.
"It is good that the President wants to consult widely with several young people, a welcomed development, but there are three conditions that need to be met; first, as it relates to membership - the National Youth Policy defines youth as 18-29 years while the African Youth Charter puts 18-35 as the youth age definition.
"So if this is a youth confab, it must be for young people and of young people, and no elderly people who must have transited into other ventures take the space for these young people.
"We know that across board, there have been efforts to get young people to the decision making table, and these young people are represented by older people. This Confab must be driven and led by young people within the age category.
"The second thing to note is the issues and formats for deliberations. Usually, if you have a Confab it will have a chair, different officers, we hope that the chair will be an experienced individual who understands youth development, governance and commands respect for not just from young people but elderly people.
"The third one deals with the implementation plan because the conference will evolve with resolutions; who will be implementing those resolutions will be critical, and those recommendations have to be very clear for everyone to understand.
"So, when you also think about a conference, when you look at the composition and issue, who is setting the issue? Education, economy, every issue that bedevils young people needs to be put on the table but also the government needs to create an open space because the conference is a place for youth engagement, so there has to be an open space where people can feel safe to contribute to this discussion.
"On how people are going to be selected, there has to be a diversity; young women, and I will say in a ratio of 50:50 if possible (50 young women and 50 young men), and young people with disabilities.
"But we also remember that the youth age is not a homogenous group, it is heterogeneous in nature; you have young people from rural communities, urban areas, all of these need to be considered including socio-cultural groups, which will send one delegate each because of the course of the programme.
"I think that in composing the conference there should also be a set of observers; observers who can be invited to observe the proceedings of the conference to ensure they provide the necessary oversights that help government at the end of the day on this particular intervention, the youth confab delivers on its expectation.
"But the President needs to be open and transparent about the methodology or about the approach for this particular conference and the timelines as well.
"The expectations that I hope and want to see in the conference, a gathering and constellation of active citizens, voices from across board regardless of political party, religious affiliation, and that the conference would deliver a prototype, but a model of the Nigeria of our dreams.
"And I hope that the participants can intensify their effort so that the conference will deliver on its promise.
"I expect that the conference would deliver the new blueprints on how to fix our economy, leadership challenge, and also how we can better harness our potential, revive economic development as the case may be.
"This is an opportunity for those who will be attending the conference to actually make a demand on the government to desist from the rights violation, and further incarceration of other young people because it is heart-breaking that young people are still in detention in a country where the law protects the Constitution and individual against unlawful detention.
"So, why have they not been charged to court? In the first instance, what is the offence? Is their offence joining protest? When has joining protest become an offence?
"These are some of the fundamental issues we need to raise when we are having discussions about this. I think it is really unfair that we have over 1,000 young people in detention and yet the government wants to consult.
"If the government is actually sincere about its consultation with young people, which I think to a large extent the President is doing his best to engage young people, then he needs to go beyond the conference to granting these young people who are in detention freedom because the conference should also have those young people who were in incarceration as members so they can also share their own pain and contribute to the discussion about our governance.
"So, the detained protesters should actually have special seats in the conference whenever it is constituted to commence.
"Can they publish the framework for the conference? That is one demand as well that the framework for the conference needs to be published so public will know what is the plan for the conference, and I guess they are working on it, but each criteria should be one: gender, persons with disability should be one as well as the issues for discussion and if possible we don't want a conference that the government would spend hundreds of million Naira just to convene without any strong or key outcome and also an implementation plan.
Counsel
"And I think that this opportunity that has been presented should be explored not just because we want to fix the problems young people face, but it is also an opportunity to retool and redesign the Nigerian state as well as our democracy.
"The point about the #EndBadGovernance protests is simply a cry for citizens that this democracy that we practice needs to be protected and government needs to deliver on its promise of education, healthcare, and security, and, once there is a failure in governance, it adversely affects citizens, especially young people, that is why they went out to protest.
"Now, the state has responsibility to protect protesters, but it is unfortunate that rather than protect protesters, they clampdown on these innocent citizens.
"Some are in detention undergoing all forms of persecutions, and the government needs to understand that protest is a way of influencing changes in government, and government must always protect the rights to protest because it is a very powerful right in a democracy, and if you take that right, it becomes difficult for citizens to participate actively and engage.
'Conference must begin with unconditional release of detained protesters'
The Country Director, ActionAid Nigeria, AAN, Andrew Mamedu, in his presentation, said, "In 2014, former President Goodluck Jonathan spent millions of Naira convening a National Conference with representatives from various communities and groups, including youths, to deliberate on national issues. To date, both federal and state governments have failed to take action on the recommendations from that conference.
"Now we hear of another planned Youth Conference by the federal government. While it is being promoted as an opportunity for dialogue, hundreds of Nigerian youths remain imprisoned for exercising their democratic right to protest, while hundreds more are on the streets protesting today.
"The conference must begin with the unconditional release of all detained protesters. "Furthermore, the conference should not be a selective gathering for politically affiliated youth groups such as APC loyalists.
"The conference must be open to Nigerian youths from all backgrounds and regions, ensuring that representatives from every part of the country participate and the results from it must be implemented.
"Nigerians have been speaking out, using various platforms to express their frustrations and concerns.
Protests, public demonstrations, and widespread conversations on social media are clear indicators of the people's dissatisfaction.
"Yet, the President and his administration remain distant and unresponsive to these cries for change. It is time for the government to truly listen to the people. Nigerians are tired of being told to 'be patient' while their realities grow bleaker by the day.
"Nigerians need more than promises. We need tangible changes that will lead to affordable and improved living standards, security, and justice. "Until then, ActionAid Nigeria stands in solidarity with the citizens, demanding that the government listen and act in the true interest of the people.
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"We call for reforms that reflect the realities of everyday Nigerians and promote inclusivity, equity, and sustainability in governance."
'Clampdown on protesters unnecessary, unacceptable'
The Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC, Auwal Rafsanjani, said, "The clampdown by security agents on October 1st protesters, for me, was unnecessary.
"This is simply because we have seen in many countries and all over the world where security agents actually protect protesters to avoid anybody engaging in destructive or bad conduct.
"Nigerians have legitimate and credible reasons why they need to protest under democracy in a peaceful manner.
"So what security agents should have done was to give the protesters protection so that nobody would do other things outside peaceful protest. "The government should listen to their concerns and responsively address their concerns and their concerns are legitimate; issues on insecurity, hunger, deepening poverty, unemployment, monumental looting and corruption by public officials, impunity, loss of confidence in the justice system, and collapsing international reputation.
"This youth confab is different from previous conferences because the previous conferences were largely about restructuring.
"This one is issue specific, arising from hardship, poverty, insecurity, corruption and unemployment.
"Nigerians are suffering from policies that were not crafted on the basis of people-centred interest, and without also looking at the repercussions of it.
"This Confab is about human survival, human dignity, safety and protection of Nigerians. For me, this conference is important and the centre of this conference should be the youth and trying to also get their support in ensuring that those issues are addressed.
"The President would be doing incredible damage to his own reputation if, at the end of the conference, the resolutions are not taken towards addressing those fundamental problems that led to the protests'.
'Clampdown shrinks space for peaceful demonstrations'
The Team Lead, Jet FarmsNG, Jerry Olanrewaju, expressed fear over the shrinking space for peaceful protests in Nigeria arising from clampdown by security operatives while also speaking on the proposed youth confab.
"The clampdown on protesters on October 1 has raised concerns about the shrinking space for peaceful demonstrations in Nigeria", Olanrewaju told Sunday Vanguard.
"While the government might justify the action as a measure to maintain peace, it undermines democratic freedoms, particularly the right to peaceful assembly.
"The protests are expressions of dissatisfaction with governance, and a clampdown could lead to more unrest, as it doesn't address the root causes of the grievances but rather silences dissent.
"I really don't know why the government would clampdown on protesters on the day we are celebrating freedom, it is surprising to see our governmental institutions not taking into cognisance the need to accept the constitutional right of the people: Right to be heard and this should be looked into.
"Is there a better way to address the continuous protests by the government? We need to know why they are protesting. Can we solve the issues?
"I think if the citizens see the government listens to their plight they would go back to their work. I really don't support protests but I don't think anyone would wake up in the morning to protest. There should be a dialogue.
"I am not surprised the President is calling for a youth forum or dialogue. My very concerns are two things: Who are the participants, and what would be the outcome of the event?
"My thoughts on the membership of the proposed youth confab are that it should be as diverse and inclusive as possible.
"If the government is serious about addressing the concerns of young Nigerians, then the forum should not be limited to just political loyalists or people with connections to certain parties.
"We need technocrats and young leaders from various sectors, religious voices, and even members of the Nigerians in Diaspora who are contributing in significant ways abroad. These are the people who can bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to the table.
"I also believe it is crucial to include activists from movements like #EndSARS, #EndBadGovernance, and #FearlessInOctober. These groups have been at the forefront of demanding change and holding the government accountable, so their presence is essential for the forum to be seen as credible and not just another political event. Without a balanced representation, the forum risks being viewed as a platform for political propaganda rather than real dialogue."
