Some Corps members:

A Youth Leader in Peyi Community in Bwari, FCT, has urged the Federal Government to always prioritise youth issues as a way of achieving national growth.

Mr Peter Galadima gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Bwari, FCT.

He decried the lack of constitutional provision for youths to play key roles during elections.

According to him, the situation constitutes an impediment to the development of the electoral process in the country and needs to be re-considered.

“The constitution should be reviewed to include a role for youths in election, so as to strengthen the nation’s democratic process through inclusive participation.

“It is now left for governments at this point in time to bring youths together and ensure that there is a constitutional provision for them to contribute their quota to nation building.”

He said that the attitude of the political class in perceiving young people as liabilities rather than assets was a hindrance to development, especially as they comprised about 50 per cent of the voting population in the country.

Youths, Galadima said, would contribute to democratic growth, if properly managed.

He, therefore, advised the government to review the Nigerian constitution to address what he considered as the marginalisation of youths in the electoral process.

He criticised the political class for its wrong perception of youths, saying that the attitude accounted for the neglect of youths in the scheme of things.

He said that since the constitution recognised 18 years as the minimum voting age, the government should also empower people within that age group to be voted for.

(NAN)