1st November, 2010
In past elections, there have been several cases where secondary school students were used as thugs by politicians to achieve their selfish end and later dumped to rot.
It is in the light of this that the Lagos State government, through the Office of the Special Adviser, Youth and Social Development, organised a one-day seminar for public secondary school students in the state on the need to shun thuggery and refuse to allow unscrupulous politicians use them as thugs in the coming elections.
Over 1,000 students drawn from all public secondary schools in Lagos gathered at Ikeja Senior Grammar School, Ikeja, Lagos, southwest Nigeria for the seminar last Thursday.
The theme of the seminar was Youth Involvement in Political Thuggery: A Threat to Socio-economic Development.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Youth and Social Development, Dr. Dolapo Badru, at the event said the theme was carefully chosen at a time the nation prepares for the 2011 elections.
“From our experience, the race for public offices had usually been a dangerous, do or die affair whereby certain players had stopped at nothing to assume power, using all means, usually negative and vicious against their perceived opponents and disrupted peaceful electioneering process.
“As youth and students alike, the challenges before you in the forthcoming political exercise, therefore, is to engage yourselves constructively to effect positive change in the system and never allow desperate politicians to use you to foment trouble or disrupt the election process,†he said.
Badru appealed to youths to join in the civil campaign of ‘Say No to Political Thuggery in 2011 Election,’ adding that they must know that the political cum economic progress of the nation at this time rested a lot on their shoulder.
“In schools, I am not aware if thuggery is part of the curriculum. You are trained and expected to become great professionals, reputable citizens and worthy leaders of tomorrow,†said Badru, whose speech was read by Mr. Lekan Akobi.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth, Sports and Social Development, Mr. Kamol Junaid lamented that unscrupulous politicians in their bid to win at all costs often resort to using students as thugs.
“They entice them with stipends to execute their undemocratic plan which is inimical to the welfare of the society. It is of paramount importance to inform and intimate our youths of the dangers inherent in this act.
“It is also worthy to mention that many youths who engage in this despicable act in the past have either paid the utmost price of losing their lives, injured or maimed for life while some are languishing in jail,†said Junaid, who was represented by the Director, Finance and Administration in the ministry, Mr. Ademola Braimoh.
According to him, “your ambition can only be realised through dint of hardwork, perseverance and focus in your educational pursuit.â€
The guest lecturer, Mrs. Olusola Abdul, a Consultant on Child Development urged the youths to shun being used as political thugs as it would land them in trouble, stressing that girls who engaged in such would only be used and dump by the politicians.
“You will be expose to prostitution and you won’t see anything wrong with it. Your parents may also reject you and you can also face societal rejection,†she said.
