THE CONCEPT DOCUMENT OF NDIGBO YOUTH PARLIAMENT

THE CONCEPT DOCUMENT OF NDIGBO YOUTH PARLIAMENT

Intro

“The price of apathy towards public affairs is to be ruled by evil men”, opines Plato. In further support of his view, Plato asserts, “one of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors”. Lending his voice to the credence of Plato’s assertion, the great Albert Einstein posits; “the world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything”. He went on to exhort; “it is the duty of every citizen according to his best capacities to give validity to his convictions in political affairs”. Suffice it to say that, if “we” (Youth) wish for a developed and peaceful community, we must be integral part of the process by getting involved!

Background

The political landscape of Nigeria, especially the Igbo speaking states, has unpatriotically locked the Youth outside the corridors of power. The Youth, whose demography has the capacity to shoot any political contestant to victory, have always been “used and dumped” as political thugs and “campaign materials”. At the handout of crumbs and peanuts, majority of the Youth sing praises of politicians that have always impoverished them and denied the citizens of their rightful political dividends.

This anomaly is in direct contrast to the practice obtainable in “organized climes” where Youth are seen to vie and occupy major political positions. In most of the advanced countries, the Youth are the “watchdogs” against “some political rogues” whose sole mission is to amass the wealth meant for the development and betterment of the general public. In such climes, the Youth put these politicians on their toes to deliver the democratic dividends to their communities and to live up to the obligations of their mandates.

The rates of abandoned projects, dilapidated public infrastructures, deteriorated roads (which are better referred to as death traps), in majority of the Igbo speaking states, and the utter neglect of the development of our Youth are quite glaring that even “the blind can see it” and disturbingly alarming that “the deaf can hear”. These “humanly orchestrated evils” got to this disheartening point as a result of the silence and laissez-faire attitude of the enlightened Youths and majority of the “good people” of these Igbo speaking states. Paraphrasing Edmund Burke, “the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”. Are we to fold our arms and watch our beloved communities degenerate to inhabitable dungeons? Do we keep silent as our talented and resilient Youths drift in idleness and resort to heinous crimes? Your answer is as good as mine, if you truly love “Ala Igbo” (Igbo land).

It is against the above background and the zeal to make Igboland “an enviable industrial haven” whose Youth are politically enlightened, that this great movement – NDIGBO YOUTH PARLIAMENT was birthed!

Vision

To build a political synergy among the Youth of Igbo speaking states and ignite the fire of patriotic political zeal in the minds of Ndigbo Youth.

Mission

To sensitize Ndigbo Youth on the need to delve into politics, not as tools and thugs, but to vie for political positions in the overall interest of the Igboland and betterment of our communities.

Aim

Our aim is to form a political synergy among the Youth of Igbo speaking states so as to speak with one voice in the demand for our rightful democratic dividends. We aim to see more Youths occupy political positions, duly elected. It is our aim to entrench the culture of electing and re-electing only candidates that have demonstrated great love for our communities via different development projects and individuals who have patriotic track records. We aim to eschew and eradicate money politics in Igboland while we propagate policy of “meritocracy”.

How to achieve the Aim

Objectives

The Objectives include but not limited to the following;

i. To serve as a garden where patriotic and community-oriented politicians are nurtured, to form a formidable force in projecting the overall interest of Ndigbo, and champion the development of the Igbo speaking states.

ii. To carve out a niche for Ndigbo Youth in the political terrain of Nigeria.

iii. To foster peace between Ndigbo Youth and the Youth of other ethnic nationalities in propagation of peaceful coexistence of our youth in every state and for the unity of the Nation.

iv. To encourage the Igbo women to delve into politics; to create equal opportunities for the female folk to thrive in politics and not to be seen as inferiors.

v. To work at ensuring that money politics and all forms of political violence and malpractices in Igbo speaking states are reduced to the barest minimum.

vi. To serve as a monitoring body against “political rogues” who rob our communities of our rightful political dividends and those who neglect the primary obligations of their political mandates.

vii. To ascertain abandoned projects: to ensure that every project awarded to Igbo speaking states are executed to a standard completion and to ensure that funds allocated for constituency projects cum ward projects are not siphoned.

viii. To propagate the autonomy of Local Governments; this is the cradle of the political career of the Youth, as the Youth vie to occupy the positions of Local Government Councilors.

ix. To carry out sensitization and youth empowerment programs in various communities in Igbo speaking states.

x. To promote Igbo language and outstanding Igbo cultures: to propagate the usage of Igbo language and ensure that our good cultures are celebrated with pride.

xi. To synergize with the entertainment industry and relevant agencies in carrying out periodic Talent hunt tagged “Ndigbo Youth Got Talent”. This is to encourage talented Youth and keep them meaningfully engaged so as to avert their minds off crimes and some societal ills; “an idle mind is a devil’s workshop”.

xii. To create a rewarding system via awards; where genuine philanthropy, patriotism, hard work (as it pertains promotion of talents, empowerments of Ndigbo Youth and development of communities) are encouraged, appreciated and celebrated.

xiii. To publish periodic journals or magazine projecting and promoting the wonderful culture of Ndigbo and outstanding Igbo personalities cum their achievements.

Clarion Call

We beckon on you to be part of this epoch making salvation of the Ndigbo Youth and the Igbo speaking states at large. If the Youth are engaged in the mainstream of Nigerian politics, with every vigour and charisma, our society will experience an unprecedented development and the citizens will enjoy peace as crimes will be drastically reduced.

As you join in building the Ndigbo Youth and in the development of the Igbo speaking states, posterity will stand in ovation whenever your name is mentioned. “Patriots who write their names in gold, in the service of humanity and betterment of the society, are immortalized and will always be revered by posterity”. May your vital force be increased!

THE ORGANIGRAM OF NDIGBO YOUTH PARLIAMENT (NYP):

The Parliament shall be structured in this below organigram:

● The Speaker
● The Deputy Speaker
● The Majority Leader
● The Chief Whip
● The Deputy Majority Leader
● The Deputy Chief Whip
● The Minority Leader
● The Minority Whip
● The Deputy Minority Leader
● The Deputy Minority Whip
● The Clerk
● The other Honorable Members representing their Senatorial Zone

There shall be other structures that are not the Honorable Members of the Parliament. They shall be addressed as the “structural members of Ndigbo Youth Parliament”. The structures shall be as follows;

▪The Diaspora Country-Ambassadors.
▪ The State Superintendents, Deputies, Secretaries and Organizing Secretaries.
▪ The Local Government Coordinators, Deputies and Secretaries.
▪ The Ward Administrators, Deputies and Secretaries.
▪ The Polling Unit Facilitators, Deputies and Secretaries.
▪ The Campus Supervisors, Deputies and Secretaries.

These shall have the same tenures as the Honorable Members of the Parliament. They can be elected or appointed. If appointed, the appointment shall be ratified by the Speaker of the Parliament.