International Youth Day 2022: Create Enabling Environment for Civil Liberties in Nigeria, YEAC Tells Government

The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) has called on the government at all levels to create the enabling environment for citizens to exercise their civil liberties in the country. The group said this call became necessary considering the increase in shrinking civic space and associated human rights abuses by security operatives in the process of law-enforcement across the country.

The organization stated these in a statement signed by its Communications Officer, Peace Oruwari and made available to journalists today, August 12 in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State as part of activities marking the 2022 International Youth Day with the theme “Intergenerational Solidarity: Creating a World for All Ages”.

Advocacy Centre maintained that the creation of an enable environment for citizens to unitize their civil liberties is fundamental to intergenerational solidarity needed for the attainment of a better and egalitarian society for people of all age-brackets to thrive. As such, “deliberate actions of government that guarantees the Constitutionally enshrined fundamental human rights of citizens to express themselves and amplify their voices are required to bridge the intergenerational gap in solidarity for a just society that leave no one behind” the group said.

The Executive Director, Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface on behalf of the organization uses the opportunity of this year’s International Youth Day celebration to felicitate with the youths. He called Nigerian youths to shun violence and unlawful activities that would cast the country in bad lights especially as the 2023 general elections draw near. Fyneface advised the youths to desist from behavioural patterns that may undermine the electoral process and deny fellow Nigerians the opportunity to freely exercise their franchise to elect credible leaders that would work to protect their human rights, create an enabling environment for job creation and better economic opportunities. He said “Youths should use the Youth Day celebration to reflect on and maximize opportunities provided technological advancements in contemporary society to drive peace, social cohesion and promote sustainable development of the country to bridge intergenerational gap for the socio-political and socio-economic development of Nigeria”.

Fyneface reminded Nigerian youths that they are widely known to be agents of social change, development and drivers of societal transformation despite the poor protection of their interests by governments at all levels. He said youth neglect in Nigerian has resulted in their roles that undermine our electoral process, poverty, and joblessness which have driven some of the youths into engaging in unwholesome activities including illegal crude oil refining in the south, illegal gold mining in the north and security threats in the country. While condemning these acts and calling for a stop to it, he encouraged the youths to look beyond the current challenges and engage in meaningful ventures that will enable them become self-reliant, socially responsible and acceptable.

He wants the Federal government led by President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR to promote an enabling environment for citizens to exercise their Civil rights as “the Civic Space in Nigeria has been distorted and increasingly shrinking against citizens who are demanding for improved security and better socio-economic conditions as demonstrated during the October 2020 #ENDSARS protest which the report should not be swept under the carpet”.

Advocacy Centre congratulates Nigerian youths on this auspicious occasion adding that the organization would on Monday, August 15, 2022 organized a capacity development and sensitization programme for youths in Ahoada West in partnership with Lighthope Succor Worldwide Foundation.

PEACE ORUWARI,
Communications Officer, YEAC–Nigeria
peace@centreadvocacy.org