Not Too Young To Run Bill Campaign Hits Ilorin

By Sheriffdeen Opeyemi

On Tuesday, 16th May, 2017, history was recorded in the capital city of Kwara State. Brain Builders International led a peaceful road walk from Yidi Round-about to Kwara State House of Assembly. The movement reached out to the legislative House to ethically lobby the legislators to support the Not Too Young To Run Bill. Tijani Sheriffdeen, an undergraduate student of the University of Ilorin reports.

The movement started some minutes after mid-noon, immediately after the National Coordinator of Brian Builders International addressed the supporters of the movement on the fashion the peaceful road walk would take. The road walk garnered enough people’s support, as pedestrians were seen calling supporters of the movements to explain the motive behind the walk to them, and afterwards they showed signs of support for the movement. Even car owners were seen waving in support of the movement. Its apparent people don’t seem to underestimate the potentials and capabilities of youths in their call to be out of the periphery of power and to be in the deciding positions to change the spate of things in our country.

The coordinators and supporters of the movement were warmly welcomed into the State’s House of Assembly. The National Coordinator of Brain Builders International (BBI),Olasupo Abideen, was given audience to talk to both the Honourables and the supporters of the movement on reasons why they were at the House. Olasupo Abideen spoke summarily on the positional paper of the campaign for the Not Too Young To Run Bill. He made it known that there have been peaceful agitations and clamour for the involvement of youths in the political system of our country within and outside Kwara State. He was fast to state that the walk they are currently involved in have been carried out in some States and would also be carried out in some other States too as their National Day of Action. The National Coordinator of BBI gave relevant examples of youths doing fine and are supportive in their capacity to the development and growth of this nation, the likes of Bashir Ahmed, Tolu Ogunlesi, Adebola Williams among others. If it took France years to bring in a young President, we can also start counting from now as we can’t wait for everybody to be ready he concluded.

Hon. Moshood Bakare yesterday again showed his support for the Bill and promised to lobby other legislators to give life to this Bill. He said he is someone who believes in the capacity and brilliance of youths as he himself held brilliant capacities where he performed wonderfully well at a very young age. If youths are doing wonderfully well outside this nation, why should we then restrict the brilliant minds we have in our own country?

The leader of the House, Hon. Hassan Oyeleke representing the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Dr. Ali Ahmad confirmed to the movement yesterday that the speaker is supportive of the agitations and clamour of the youths to be actively involved in the decision making of our country. The leader of the House made it known to those who were at the House yesterday that the Speaker is a thoughtful person who has also led in different capacities as a youth and is ever ready to give the Bill the support it deserves. He was quoted to have said whoever isn’t supporting this Bill is doing so in futility. The leader of the House also gave his words on the Bill saying he has also been a supporter of the Bill and as such, would do all his capacity to see to the passage of the bill.