THE REPORT OF THE TWO DAYS 3RD YTI GLOBAL YOUTH CONFERENCE ON DEMOCRACY AND POLITICAL PARTICIPATION

The event started at 10; 15am on 20th of Feb. 2008 at the British Council Lagos Office venue of the event the first day was a closed session for the selected youth dialogue /debate in attendance was 67 participants including the facilitators. It stared with presentations by the two facilitators before the breakout session the issues that were discussed which was to be presented at the second day of the event was as followed

Changing Nigerian Realities: A presentation of Nigeria ’s Youth Perspective

By Dede Kadiri Development Initiatives Network: February 22, 2008

How it started

•Opening programme

•There were 2 major presentations by renowned leadership coaches

-Dede Kadiri: Leadership perspectives on good governance in Nigeria

- Gori Daniel: Taking hold of the Future

General theme:  We sought

•Innovative approaches to Nigeria 's present and future challenges.

•Leadership directions for our participation in good governance.

Breakout groups: 10 groups dealing with socio economic and political justice, corruption, political manoeuvring, citizenship, government service delivery, accountability, civic responsibility, governance, policy making and poverty.

Communication Strategies:

•All groups gave impressive definitions of the key concepts.

•Proffered unique leadership actions from citizen and governmental perspectives.

Recommendations: Group 1: Socio-economic and political justice

üPoverty-vocational training, reducing illiteracy by advancing free education beyond the primary level to secondary and vocational levels.

üCorruption- shifting mindsets, enhancing moral values, ethics, leadership skills.

Group 2: Corruption:

Major corrupt sectors: Government: enforces minimum wage yet endorses civil service excesses

•Its budget constantly shows Preference for spending on recurrent expenditure I  rather than capital projects.

Solution:

•Collective action: CSO proactively

•Individual action: modesty

Group 3: Political manoeuvring

•Usually perceived as negative but an opprutunity to promote change through

•Lobbying;

•Exercising civic rights;

•Vote for only aspirants who have a track record of high performance

Group 4: Citizenship

•Need to conscientiously eradicate poverty through developing entrepreneurial skills;

•Every Nigerian has the responsibility to review our maintenance culture;

•Must be proactive in electoral activities

•Need to promote formal and informal training

•Build individual self esteem to promote participation in governance and good governance.

Group 5: Government Service Delivery

•Need for participation and involvement in state and municipal planning;

•Projects must be relevant to what people need;

•Collective community monitoring;

•Maintenance culture;

•Encourage feedback mechanisms;

•Use existing structures;

•Access to information and to decision making.

•People need to be made aware to inform participation.

Group 6: Accountability

Means self discipline, open door policy and responsibility to the collective. Responsibility is at the individual and collective levels.

•Imbibe the habits of keeping records;

•Show love and respect for others. Enhance out value system and traditions;

•Self control;

•Prudent spending and raising questions where there are excesses;

•Learning from each other;

•Operation "what next." Always look to advancement.

Group 7: Civic Responsibility

•Need to enhance the right to speech and right to information;

•More seminars on civic responsibility;

•Promote information sharing;

•Engage rural leaders;

•Embrace gender equality.

Group 8: Governance

•There is need for the provision of credible checks and balances in order to achieve good governance;

•Promotes greater participation of the youth;

•Good governance is also an individual responsibility to participate in government.

•Spread the news.

Group 9: Policy making

•This should be a quest to have a better society for us all.

•We must learn to plan far ahead> prioritize.

•Implementation is key to knowledgeable leaders. Get the right people for the right positions. E.G an accountant as a Minister for Power!!

•There is need for adequate funding to meet needs but leaders must remember to cut your coat according to your size; Avoid white elephant projects;

•Nepotism, avoid tribalism. Enhance patriotism: e.g. practices in oil refinery.

•Research, research, research for progress.

Group 10: Poverty

•Poverty is a state of the mind

•Need for training and empowerment in leadership;

•Promote informal and formal education simultaneously;

•Promote community/ collective (pro)activity;

•Encourage self-sustenance.

Nigeria is ready for change. We are ready for a new wave of leadership.

It starts with us ….NOW!

The second day of event started at 10; 20am with the introduction of the invited guests in attendance was 137 participants.

The report on Prof. Pat Utomi’s presentation

The session which was facilitated by Prof. Pat Utomi elevated the audience at the workshop as he unveils the economic cum political position of the nation which he however challenged the Youth at that occasion to be dynamic in facing these challenges.

Professor Utomi started by informing the participants that the young persons (Youth) are at the "age of Dreams", he said that Youth are very courageous and are needed for important roles in building the nation; he noted that hence the nation need builders that it would require people with courage.

He talked on Power and its components which he examined as Containing, Restraining and Retaining of power. He explained power as the ability of "A" to make "B" do what "B" would not ordinarily want to do, and emphasized that when wrongly or ignorantly applied could lead to "Malicious Obedience".

He further stressed that formal power comes from authority and that authority can be intoxicated but states that it is the duty of the society to control such excesses.

The audience were in rapt attention when he analyzed the concept of "The Law of Oligarchy" where he explained that where organization exist, oligarchy also exist and he cited instances with present Political parties in Nigeria.

Professor Utomi also commented on issues as it affects Transparency and Accountability in the Nigeria system and blamed its failure on ethnic/ tribal politics which he said has been used by past leaders to deceive their populace through the wrong definition of interpreting abuse of office/power. He said that these corrupt leaders when charged for their offences often run into the enclave of tribal ethnicity to arouse sentiments.

He also offered solutions as to re-creating a virile and strong system that would lead Nigeria into generation next.

Prof. Utomi called for the creation of a strong middle class group who are free as against the extremes which we have today in Nigeria , ie extreme rich and extreme poverty.

He also noted on the issue of crisis of culture and values and how to hold people accountable insisting that there are systemic procedure to explaining government expenditures and blamed the development on lack of systemic procedure to holding leaders accountable.

He dwelt extensively on the topic Building Democracy; he started this session with a brief on political history of Nigeria and as it affected the economy.

He said that after Nigeria was restructured into regions, that each region began to develop identity base that was regional and ethnic centered and that the leaders of those regions tried to promote ethnic stocks or regions; he said that competitive communalism existed in the 50’s and 60’s.

The first move to industrialize in Nigeria in Nigeria was made by chief Awolowo of the Western region, followed by chief  Michael Okpara  of Eastern region and Sarduana of  Sokoto and the competition continued. This period he said brought both increase and its difficulties.

The coup de’tat of 1966 eventually compounded the problem of the nation, federal structures collapsed, unitary system of control of power, multiplication to the use of government resources with little contribution to the masses.

Prof. Utomi said that the way to make progress is to resolve the crisis of values. He challenged the Youth on the way forward for the future development of the country which he said included;

Correction of Basic values which were altered.

Holding Public officers accountable

Having qualified persons in position

Restoration of work ethics

Fighting entitlement mentality

He said that the Youth should eschew a value system that emphasizes on instant gratification rather than deferred gratification.

He also advised them to elevate human dignity to a high pedestals.

Compiled by:

Chukwuemeka Uzu

Secretary (YELF)

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As reported by  Youth Transparency International

Mrs. Clara Ibirigba the director, directorate for citizen’s rights Lagos State was represented by Ibrahim Olamide In his presentation he mentioned that accountability has become a very important element in the discourse of the ground rules for the government of Nations and corporate entities he tried to explain what accountability is and the misconception of its meaning as he mention the case of Nigeria, which has not received adequate clarification  and said there is need for a consideration of the term in other to appreciate it’s scope  and utility. He  asked the question about what the relevance in the operation and protection of citizens rights in Nigeria, what the relationship between accountability and sustainable development in the fulfillment of the rights of Nigerian Citizens and the existing frame work using Lagos State as a case he mentioned accountability means answerability but in a country where systemic corruption, inequality and

discrimination deprive many of there dignity and freedom to explore ways towards development  the relevant of accountability in the operation and protection of citizens right cannot be over emphasized.

The idea of sustainable development stems from the right of a citizen to a quality and well deserving environment. He said the whole essence  is sustainable development is to guarantee the rights of citizens to a healthy environment and so doing improve their productivity, standard of living and reduce government expenditure as it  affirms the importance of social  and economic development goals.

He said the directorate as a department in Lagos State ministry of justice was established to provide enlarged access to justice and institutions and its made of this arms

1. Human rights protection unit

2 consumer rights protection unit

3. Citizens’ Mediation Center

4. Justice Now publication unit,

5. Office of the public defender

These arms deal with issues as such account for the rights of the citizens

Dr. Mrs. S.M.V GopalKrishna’s papers was elaborate although an Indian by birth but but a Nigerian due to her love for the country which she  has demonstrated in several ways in her committment on issuess that borders in the development of Nigeria. She in her paper dicused Poverty, Corruption, Participatory Governance and Accountability. She submit that we empower our youth by teaching them the fundamentals of our democratic form of government and then encouraging them to engage in the process in our communities. Since the next generation will be the stewards of our communities, our state and our nation in extraordinarily critical times.  The questions she said is - How do we get the youth of today to engage in citizenship? How do we make them feel that they can make a difference on an issue or influence the process? How do we deal with their belief that what they do does not matter? She suggest that perhaps the best way to address this situation is to

combine traditional civic education – basic and necessary knowledge about the way our democracy works – with giving young people the opportunity to learn from community engagement. They should have the chance to study, investigate and explore all issues as a normal part of their overall learning experiences – both inside and outside of the classroom. She mentioned strategies such as DFID's NEEDS (National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy) and SEEDS (State Economic Empowerment and Development Strategies) projects could, if fully implemented, have a important role to play in assisting Nigeria in developing into an accountable democracy with a strong economy. Similarly, programs such as the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (ETI), which aims to provide a comprehensive audit of payments and receipts of oil revenues, are important in developing trust in the Government's activities and Nigeria must be commended for

volunteering to pilot new EITI disclosure and validation methodologies. Although the international community has a vital role, but ultimately there can only be sustained poverty alleviation when a strong relationship develops between the people and their Government. The Governance structures must establish a reputation as an effective and accountable provider of services, at both national and regional level, she said  as sustainable economic growth is the best way to alleviate poverty, and the Government of Nigeria has a role in providing an economic climate in which the businesses and the private sector can flourish; with macro-economic stability, a strong and independent financial sector, low regulation, access to credit, secure property rights, an impartial legal system and fair competition. They must also ensure that they do not follow short-sighted economic policies such as controlling interest rates below the rate of inflation, keeping the

exchange rate artificially low, granting subsidised credits for favoured supporters and perpetuating corruption. But Poor governance and corruption, is a cancer on the Nigeria’s development process. A said and done she said Human Poverty is more than income poverty – it is the denial of choices and opportunities for living a tolerable life. Nigeria she said presents a paradox. The country is rich but the people are poor. Whilst it is easy to discuss economic solutions to alleviating poverty, without good governance and the minimalisation of corruption significant progress in reducing poverty will not be made. We must acknowledge that corruption is corrosive; and whilst it remains less expensive to bribe a government official to obtain a concession than it is to pay the full market price limited progress will be made. She quoted from 2004 MDG report which was the first rep[ort from Nigeria  that Nigeria will be unable to meet the target.

She said corruption in Nigeria can be traced to great inequality in distribution of wealth; political office as the primary means of gaining access to wealth; conflict between changing moral codes; weakness of social and governmental enforcement mechanisms; and absence of a strong sense of national community. Also that obsession with materialism, compulsion for a shortcut to affluence, and approbation (of ill-gotten wealth) by the general public, are among the reasons for the persistence of corruption in Nigeria.

She suggested corruption control measures as:-

- Direct, forceful support of the highest political authority.

- Introduction of transparency and accountability in government functions, particularly in all financial transactions.

- Encourage a free press and electronic media to forcefully report to the public on corrupt practices in the society.

- Organise civil society to address the problems of corruption brought to light by the process of transparency and the activity of the media.

- Minimise and simplify government regulations, particularly those involving issuance of licenses, permits, thereby restricting opportunities for rent seeking by corrupt means.

- Insert anti-bribery clauses into all major procurement contracts and contracts relating to privatisation of government enterprises, and development of natural resources.

- Ensure that enforcement is predictable and forceful.

- Criminalise acts of bribery; prohibit the deduction of bribes for tax purposes; and erect barriers to transfer to western financial institutions of financial gains derived from corrupt practices

- Declaration of Assets: All high-level Nigerian officials (Presidents, Ministers, Legislators, Central Bank governors, Police and Customs Chiefs, Military Generals) should sign a statement granting permission to banks (both local and foreign), real estate or investment house to disclose any personal assets they may hold.

- Withholding of Aid: International donors (the IMF and World Bank ) can be helpful by cutting off completely distribution of assistance to any country marked for high-level corruption.

- Scrutiny for sources of income: scrutinising individual depositors of huge sum of money, by financial institutions for sources, would go along way to curbing looting of national treasury by civil servants.

She said without a nation-wide political will to eschew corruption and promote good governance, beginning from the leadership downwards, the clarion call may be of little effect and we cannot talk about democracy, let alone participatory democracy. Nigeria cannot be considered secure and democratic state, if millions of people go hungry, do not have a roof over their heads, are jobless and sick, with the most basic human right, the right to life disregarded. Good governance, transparency, accountability and the rule of law are the keys to tackling corruption in the society, as corrupt leaders cannot wage an effective war against corruption or against poverty or talk about accountability. "Democracy" as a way of organizing the state has come to be narrowly identified with territorially based competitive elections of political leadership for legislative and executive offices. Yet, increasingly, this mechanism of political representation seems

ineffective in accomplishing the central ideals of democratic politics: facilitating active political involvement of the citizenry, forging political consensus through dialogue, devising and implementing public policies that ground a productive economy and healthy society, and, in more radical egalitarian versions of the democratic ideal, ensuring that all citizens benefit from the nation’s wealth.

Barr. Sam Erugo in his presentation talked about the task of holding the judiciary accountable or responsible. He said in its process is another way of speaking about transparency and there are many challenges for the judiciary. He asked these questions why judicial transparency and transparency process? he mentioned it is important to a virile and sustainable judiciary since the judiciary is the stabilizing arm of government, he said as part of modern government based on rule of law it is the bulwark for the protection of rights and liberties as guaranteed by the constitution, it is the last hope for the common man as he made reference to the last administration in Nigeria that it could be the hope of the common man unlike in the times past. He talked about the position of the judiciary which he said seem lost to the average Nigerian because of the post military democratic leadership which virtually relegated the judiciary to the background and coerced

into servitude. Although in the present democratic experience, the judiciary has appeared relevant only in its new found activism specifically in case of rivalry/ contest within political class/ leadership with reference to the cases of the former vice president Atiku Abubarkar, Peter Obi, senator Ararumu, Rotimi Ameechi etc but beyond the political cases he questioned the accountability/transparency of the judiciary to the common man

He spoke prominently on the separation of power from the various arms of government. to provide for checks and balance he mentioned the problem is not in the institutional framework but in operations and our attitude of total lawlessness in the leadership which trickles down. . He said that a separate and independent arm of government builds democracy. He emphasized on the components of rule of law and requested for attention on crimes and punishing of offenders. He said the courts are fundamental to the promotion and protection of democratic values as what we see in practice in Nigeria is a situation where the judiciary is treated as subservient and sometimes ridiculed by the executive arm. He said the court is truly one of the three powers that constitute the government  but the question is whether this power has translated to a ‘ call to try the judiciary’s skill and strength’ is the interesting but difficult task/ problem of her being

responsible/ accountable as it is a difficult question to answer.

He said the challenges include

1. Lack of judicial independence-appointment, removal, funding and enforcement.

2 Corruptions

3. Lack of infrastructure (delays)

4. Lack of manpower including qualified/competence

5. Lack of independent enforcement mechanism

6. Lack of will power

He made these Suggestions that the Judicial should be independence, Separate enforcement mechanism, Divorcing judges/judicial officers from political influences and Security