Nigerian shines at Commonwealth, emerge as youth council chair

A Nigerian, Ahmed Adamu  yesterday emerged as the chairperson of the Commonwealth Youth Council (CYC) at a keenly contested election.
Adamu  will chair the new body, which will be the recognised voice of the 1.2 billion young people of the Commonwealth, and a framework for youth-led development initiatives.   
 The inaugural Executive of the Council would serve a two year term until the next CYC General Assembly in Mauritius in 2015.
Other winners of the election are: Vice Chairperson (Policy, Advocacy & Projects): Sudharshana Lakshmi from India; Vice Chairperson (Partnerships & Resources): Sadham Zarjahan from Sri Lanka; Vice Chairperson (Inclusion & Engagement): Mohamed Husni from Sri Lanka; Regional Representative – Africa & Europe: Kiziah Philbert from Kenya; Regional Representative – Asia: Tharika Dileepani from Sri Lanka; Regional Representative – Caribbean & Americas: Royden Beharry from Grenada; Regional Representative – Pacific: Harry James from Solomon Islands and Representative – Special Interest Groups: Wathsala Samarakoon from Sri Lanka.
Five Nigerian youths were among the Fifty-three candidates from 21 countries standing for nine executive posts including Chairperson, Vice Chairpersons, regional and special interests representatives of the Commonwealth Youth Council.
Over the past two days at the Commonwealth Youth Forum  in Hambantota, Sri Lanka, candidates from national youth bodies across the 53 countries of the Commonwealth have been campaigning for the right to lead the CYC.
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN

Breaking News:Lecturer dies in ghastly auto accident on way to ASUU meeting, Professor Festus Iyayi is dead

Professor Festus Iyayi is dead.

 Comrade  Iyayi a former National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) died in a car accident early hours of today on his way to a meeting in resolving the ongoing strike action.

He was heading for the Kogi State Congress of the university union when died.

Festus Iyayi (born 1947, in Ugbegun in Ishan) is a Nigeria writer known for his radical and sometimes tough stance on social and political issues. Iyayi employs a realistic style of writing, depicting the social, political and moral environment and system both the rich and poor live and work in.

As a member of staff of the University, he became interested in radical social issues, and a few years after his employment, he became the president of the local branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), a radical union known for its upfront style on academic and social welfare. He rose to the position of president of the national organization in 1986, but in 1988, the union was briefly banned and Iyayi was detained, in that same year he won the Commonwealth Prize for Literature for his book Heroes. He was later removed from his faculty position.  

Iyayi  in an interview said he  was asked to pack faeces with my bare hands in  under the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida.

Professor Festus Iyayi  has warned that the stability of Nigeria will be threatened if the problem of youth unemployment 

Sabo Kente may emerge new Taraba Speaker today

As politicking on who emerge the New Speaker of the Taraba State House of Assembly thickens, Peoples Daily exclusively gathered that the deputy majority leader of the Assembly, Hon. Josiah Sabo Kente may emerge today (Wednesday) as the new speaker.
Peoples Daily correspondent gathered that a consensus was reached last night by members of the state Assembly to retain the speakership position in Taraba Southern Senatorial Zone.
The deputy speaker of the Taraba State House of Assembly, Alhaji Tanko Maikerifi and Kente, had been in a two-way battle to succeed the Taraba speaker, Hon Haruna Tsokwa who died on Monday after a brief illness.
A source in the meeting said the deputy speaker was disqualified from the race for the interest of the state.
"You know that the deputy speaker is Muslim, the acting governor of the state is a Muslim, but the natural person to succeed the late speaker would be the deputy majority leader who is a Christian and hails from the same southern Taraba as the late speaker. So I think the lawmakers have decided on the pure interest of the state for peace to reign," the source said.

http://peoplesdailyng.com/sabo-kente-may-emerge-new-taraba-speaker-today/
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN

5 Nigerians in race for Commonwealth Youth Council seats

published on Page 6 Peoples Daily Newspaper (11/11/13)

Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

Five Nigerian youths are among the Fifty-three candidates from 21 countries standing for nine executive posts including Chairperson, Vice Chairpersons, regional and special interests representatives of the Commonwealth Youth Council.

The CYC elections which begins yesterday  during the Commonwealth Youth Forum, Hambantota Sri Lanka. National Youth Councils/ Bodies in the 53 Commonwealth countries and Overseas Territories are eligible to vote in these elections.

The Commonwealth Youth Council is an autonomous youth-led body, which aims to further advance the youth development agenda and strengthen young people's participation in the Commonwealth. Its Executive will be responsible for the leadership and strategic direction of the Council.

 The young person's vying for Chairperson of the Council  are: Ahmed Adamu – Nigeria; Kesaobaka Pharatlhatlhe – Botswana; Francesca Temitope Danmole – UK and Ngen Yves Riyuh – Cameroon

Ahmed Adamu from Kastina State is a graduate of Bayero University Kano with a PhD in Economics, from Newcastle University, United Kingdom.

Adamu is the Founder and Pioneer President, Youth Participation for Progressive Development Initiative, member, Katsina State Executive Council Committee on youth restiveness and Unemployment, December, 2011 and Secretary, Constitutional review Committee, Katsina Central Constituency, 2012.

Also another Nigerian Isaiah Owolabi  is contesting for  Vice Chairperson-Policy and Advocacy  alongside : Muhammed Zafrullah – Pakistan, Nooranie Muthaliph - Sri Lanka, Asha Kemoy Desuza - St. Kitts and Nevis, Nomonde Sharon Malanda - South Africa, Tamian Gevani Beckford – Jamaica, Isaiah Owolabi – Nigeria, Vijayanathan Thusandra - Sri Lanka and Sudharshana Lakshmi - India

 Isaiah Owolabi a project director and co-founder of HACEY's Health Initiative a nongovernmental organization that works in 24 African countries to support vulnerable children, women and young people to lead healthy and productive lives.

Isaiah is a graduate of Human Physiology and a graduate member of Nigerian Institute of Management. Also he was a finalist for the 2012 Commonwealth Youth Award for Excellence in Development Work.

Uyero Erarawewho from Delta State is also in the race for  Africa and EU Regional Representative  alongside: Foglabenchi Lily Haritu – Cameroon, Florence Koroma - Sierra Leaone, Karl Bugeja – Malta, Arielle Gahigi Muginaneza – Rwanda , Moshobane Claude - South Africa,  , Brian Dan Migowe – Kenya, Juliana Timothy Haule – Tanzania, Kiziah Philbert – Kenya and Ibrahim Idrissa Mansaray - Sierra Leone.

    Erarawewho, graduated from Delta State University where I studied Accounting and presently undergoing a Postgraduate Degree in Banking and Finance.

He is  currently the Secretary, National Youth Council of Nigeria, Delta State, Ndokwa East Chapter and also the Conference Coordinator of the West Africa Youth Conference.

 Two Nigerians Ahmed Bachaka  and Ekpetun Torke Johnson are slugging it out  as  Representative for Special Interest Groups  alongside :George Argwing's Kasera – Kenya, Amila Wensiri Rajapakshe - Sri Lanka, Samarakoon Wathsala - Sri Lanka.

Abubakar Ahmed Bachaka   is currently the Chief Whip of the Nigerian Youth Parliament.

Torke Johnson Ekpetun, from  Agbidiama Community, Ekeremor Local

Government Area, Bayelsa State is the  Founding National Coordinator of Offshore Oil and Gas Host Communities Youth Development Association

(OGHYYDA) in 2010, Vice Chairman,South-South, Nigerian Youths United Action

Coalition 2012 and Vice Chairman, NYCN Bayelsa West Senatoria District, Bayelsa State Chapter

 

 Over 106 youth representatives from 53 countries will participate in the Forum along with 22 observers and 5 representatives of the Task Force. In addition, 25 youth delegates 20 monitors and task force members from Sri Lanka will also attend.

The CYF, organized with several objectives, will allow youth leaders to exchange ideas and cultures, for youth participants to build skills and network, and to work toward identifying the most vital challenges and opportunities facing the youth today.

Four days will be allocated for the main forum of the CYF while one day will be set aside for sightseeing.

Participants of the CYF will have the opportunity to take part in professional skills development programs, capacity building activities and cross-cultural programs.

At the Forum, the Commonwealth Youth Council (CYC) will be elected and the newly-elected youth leaders of the CYC and co-chairs of the CYF Youth-Led Task Force will interface with the Heads of Government to share the outcomes of the CYF.

The Youth Forum has been jointly organized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Skill Development, National Youth Services Council and the youth affairs division and youth exchange council of the Commonwealth Secretariat.

According to the Director of the youth affairs of the Commonwealth Secretariat Catherin Allis the Youth Forum in Sri Lanka will become a turning point of the development of youth affairs.