By Ozioruva Aliu
BENIN CITY – THE Speaker of the Edo State Youth Parliament, Prince Fawaz Muhammed, has resigned his position and membership of the parliament, citing abandonment of youth-oriented programmes and non-funding of the parliament.
In a letter addressed to the Clerk of the parliament, Muhammed said they have been self-funding the parliament and that most of the programmes that relate to youths were being abandoned while praise singers are the people getting attention, a development he said was contrary to the reason for the setting up of the parliament
He said “The Edo State Youth Parliament has survived not through institutional commitment but through the personal and financial sacrifices of its members.
“This is unsustainable, unjust, and contrary to the spirit in which this Parliament was established.
“In the current dispensation, we’ve seen youth welfare decline from bad to worse. Young people are losing confidence in good governance. Critical issues affecting Edo youths receive little to no meaningful attention, unless they are touts or praise singers of misgovernance. Presently, youth concerns are pushed to the background and treated as an afterthought when they are acknowledged at all.”
He said the establishment of the Parliament sowed a visionary seed that empowered young people to learn, question, challenge, and lead “However, leadership demands clarity, honesty, and the courage to confront uncomfortable truths. Today, I choose truth over silence, duty over comfort, and my people over political pretence.
“I cannot, in good conscience, remain a ceremonial Youth Parliament Speaker while my constituents face fear, vulnerability, and administrative indifference. I cannot lead a Parliament that runs on sacrifice while those empowered to strengthen youth governance look the other way.
“I cannot allow my voice to be confined within a system that has chosen not to listen. When institutions fail, leaders must refuse to fail with them.”
Checks at the Ministry of Youths which oversees its activities did not yield any response but a senior civil servant who did not want his name mentioned said the ministry look into the development through the appropriate channels
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