The stage appears set for a showdown following the disclosure by the United Kingdom government that it spent \u00a3795,000 to prosecute the #NotTooYoungToRun movement.
\nSome parties are beginning to ask how the funds were disbursed and who got what. One group lamented that it sent in a list to YIAGA,\u00a0 and heard nothing of it until the disclosure Tuesday by the UK government.
\nOthers are calling for investigations on the use of the funds as yet others question the motive of donors to such ventures.
\nBritish High Commissioner\u00a0to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, disclosed the volume of expenditure on the Not-Too-Young-To-Run movement on Tuesday.
\nTHE PUNCH reported that the #NotTooYoungToRun movement led to the emergence of young legislators in the just-concluded 2019 elections.
\nThe Envoy also encouraged incoming legislators to support each other, particularly the relatively few females among them because \u201cNigeria will not move forward if the space for women\u2019s engagement is not widened.\u201d
\nAccording to her, while the UK would continue to support Nigeria in its determination for the emergence of young leaders, 75 per cent of those they supported won the 2019 election.
\nLaing\u00a0stated these in Abuja during a programme organised by YIAGA Africa with support from UKAid and with the theme:\u00a0\u201cThe Convergence 2.0: Nigeria\u2019s largest gathering of young elected Representatives\u201d,\u00a0in support of the #NotTooYoungToRun Bill.
\nShe said, \u201cWe supported the NotTooYoungToRun movement with \u00a3795 million to be precise and we will continue to support you. It is outstanding that 75 per cent of those we supported won the election. What matters is the future of Nigeria.
\n\u201cI am extremely proud to be here, looking at nearly 300 young political representatives, reflecting the wave of energy and exuberance that has entered the Nigerian political space. Last December when UKaid supported the original Convergence, there were over 400 candidates. \u00a0Approximately 75 per cent of that first cohort was elected, which is a remarkable feat.
\n\u201cYou have moved from \u2018Not Too Young To Run\u2019 to being \u2018Ready to Run\u2019, now it\u2019s time to contribute. Your presence in this inaugural group of young representatives is about Nigeria\u2019s future; it\u2019s about inclusion, it\u2019s political participation. It is really about how young people will lead the way and, specifically, how you will lead the way.
\n\u201cThis is why the UK has been a proud supporter of this movement, and we will continue to support you as long as you are prepared to lead. Your growth as political representatives will determine how much progress is made in all areas of life in Nigeria. So you now have a responsibility to engage in the state and federal legislatures on issues which affect the people who voted for you.
\n\u201cYou will make the laws and policies which will affect education, health, the economy, security, women, People Living With Disabilities \u2013 and remember, somebody championed the law which made it possible for you to run for office! The responsibility is on your shoulder to ensure that integrity, fairness, inclusion, and accountability become the hallmarks of your tenure.
\n\u201cYou might have needed support in order to contest the 2019 elections but, come 2023, be prepared to run on your own record of achievements. There will be days when you feel discouraged or you feel things are not changing quickly enough. The challenges facing Nigeria did not materialise overnight, so neither will the solutions. Be determined to be part of the change, however incremental it is.
\n\u201cI also want to encourage you to support each other, particularly the relatively few females among you. Nigeria will not move forward if the space for women\u2019s engagement isn\u2019t widened. \u00a0You now hold a special place in Nigeria\u2019s history, but you need to decide whether you are content just being the first young group of representatives\u2019, or you would rather be the first wave of change that brought a new dimension to Nigerian politics.
\n\u201cThis is the beginning of a journey. \u00a0International partners such as the UK can only support you, but the responsibility is yours to take Nigeria to the next level.
\n\u201cI wish you all the very best in the years ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The stage appears set for a showdown following the disclosure by the United Kingdom government that it spent \u00a3795,000 to prosecute the #NotTooYoungToRun movement. Some parties are beginning to ask how the funds were disbursed and who got what. One group lamented that it sent in a list to YIAGA,\u00a0 and heard nothing of it […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":14799,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17638","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17638","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=17638"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17638\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=17638"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=17638"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=17638"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}