From Okwe Obi, Abuja
Youth Alliance For Good Governance (YAGG), an NGO, has called on Nigerians to begin to demand good governance in the areas of education, infrastructure development and accountability of funds.
Speaking at an inaugural meeting in Abuja, YAGG Chairman Kingsley Ochinawata said the organisation’s objective is to create rural and public awareness aimed at reversing the trend of corrupt practices by holders of political offices in Nigeria.
Ochinawata explained that the NGO provides a voice for the Nigerian citizens to air their views on successes, lapses and challenges from political leaders as well as their positive expectations.
He said that the organisation promotes youth development projects such as donations to institutions and colleges, capacity-building projects and promotion of youth empowerment schemes, adding that a good number of schools have received science equipment from them.
‘We are still in the process of flagging off skill acquisition/youth empowerment project,’ he said.
Aside from congratulating the newly appointed Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, Ochinawata expressed interest in partnering with his administration to bring about a corrupt-free Nigeria.
Speaking on accountability, he called on the anti-graft agency to bring to book anyone found wanting in the mismanagement of public funds entrusted to them.
‘Our mineral resources have yielded the country a lot of financial gains and these are being managed by our leaders and when we see a lot of deficit in infrastructural development, social justice and economic development, we should ask them what they used our funds for,’ he stated.
YAGG Director, Research and Statistics, Amb Abusufyan Ayyub, said the organisation would train young people across the country in tailoring, shoemaking, and bag making among other skills, to encourage self-reliance and self-employment.
‘We want Nigerians to be informed. It is good they get trained so that they can be self-employed. This will help in ending corruption and other criminal activities across the country,’ he declared.
‘As an organisation which always works towards development, we will continue to seek accountability at all levels.’
Corroborating his statement, YAGG National Secretary Idris Mahmud said the organisation is planning training workshops and awareness campaign across different communities.
‘We are appealing to Nigerians to make sure they actualise good governance. We want to make sure we have a better country in future with good leaders who will always be accountable to us,’ he said.