Winnie: Why do you think that we are not ready?

Osita: There are a lot of things we have to deal with, we have power deficit, infrastructure deficit. We need to put a lot of things in place first. You can’t just take technology and sprinkle on these like this. So, I think what we can use at the moment from technology is social media. Just like the #endsars peaceful protest that happened weeks ago, everything was done online with no physical meetings or cash, everything was absolutely done online.

Lyrics: The Federal Government is clamoring on this Social Media Bill. If this bill be passed, do you think people will still enjoy these benefits you outlined?

Osita: To me, it means you are trying to choke the citizens. People can’t be able to speak against the government anymore. It’s very destructive.

Lyrics: It doesn’t make clamping on these things.

Winnie: if a lot of people understand that technology never forgets. It will change our present actions on situations. What other ways do you think youths can ensure for driving good governance?

Okechukwu: Like we said earlier, the youths are very innovative. One is this civic education trainings. It is worth it. I’m Nigerian and I’m sorry to say this, we don’t have laid down principles for people moving into politics. It will go a long way if we have these civic educative trainings, competence.

Akuabata: We should have youths learn to observe the off-seasons. Not only when we’re close to the election period. We need to start raising awareness ahead of time. What are doing as young people during the off-seasons? We can’t be like this. We need to deviate and try other means.

Osita: I believe if our young start getting involve with the little position and achieve excellence, with time you will go a long way. We shouldn’t believe it a position for the lesser. Our politics should start from the grassroots, not just jumping to the national level.

Lyrics: An advice to the youths, we shouldn’t just give up if we fail. We should be able to learn from our mistakes and turn back and re-strategize.

Winnie: What word do you have for the youths from the South-East towards driving active participation in good governance?

Okechukwu: Requires civic training, having good ideology that would bring good governance.

Osita: My advice, we can start leading from anywhere we don’t need to get into big positions to bring tremendous change.

Akuabata: You can start from your own little corner and bring change; you don’t need to get to Aso Rock to enforce change.

Lyrics: Goodbye for now. Till next week


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Lyrics: In your own ways, how do you think, we will have to punish for this good governance?

Akuabata: Punishing for good governance is a bit simpler than our parent’s generation. Reason is the social media. As youths and people that have found ourselves in this time has shown us the power of the people. Just like the #endsars protest. We nee to turndown on the apathy and amplify the message through a little retweet.

Lyrics: Okechukwu, do you agree?

Okechukwu: Yes, I do agree with what she said. You see the youth is a very innovative force. They contribute, participate in governance and bringing economic development to the country. Likes of Thomas Sankara of Burkina Faso etc.

Winnie: Thank for refreshing our memories, looking at this our generation. Do you think the next generation can be able to say we participated fully in good governance?

Okechukwu: Yes, of course. I actually took us down memory lane, because It’s foundational. But our youths need more to bring own apathy and hold our leaders accountable. Good governance isn’t what should be held by leaders alone, but by the people to be able to hold the leaders accountable.

Winnie: Do you think that young people in the south-East are aware of their rights and ready to take up Good Governance processes and ensure that things are working out better?

Lyrics: To make it easier, do you think the youths are ready, mentally, physically or financially okay for good governance.

Okechukwu: To be entirely honest, I will say we are ready, but I’m not talking about the entire populace, but for bright minds and exceptional minds. The challenge we’ve always have is the connections.

Lyrics: Apart from youths in politics, the women in politics, where are they?

Akuabata: It’s somehow in our mentality, that women are not fit for politics. That is a wrong mentality. People like Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Dora Akunyili, Aisha Yesufu. There are lot of barriers women face. For every barrier a man faces, a woman faces like ten more. You could talk about the husband as a barrier, children, societal construct, finance. Even when one function to come out, they think she’s a prostitute.

Lyrics: With all these challenges, do you think a woman will do better in politics?

Akuabata: I know, I’m very positive.

Okechukwu: Taking a look at the ratio of previous women in politics and what they’ve done, I will actually give them a pass mark. They will actually do well in politics.

Winnie: I personally believe everyone will do better whether you are a man or a woman. It depends on your ideology, personality, what lead, the drive that you have. It’s not just a matter of being a man or woman. Development can come from either.

Lyrics: She said something, societal construct I think there’s something wrong with our brain. I full overhauling.

Winnie: *Welcoming Osita Nwangwu. How do you think that young people can through technology bring good governance?

Osita: Improve accountability, technology has made things very easy. Using the social media, these are the things that we can leverage on and encourage good governance. I don’t think we are ready for electronic voting yet.

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GUEST SPEAKERS:
Akuabata Eze (Development Sector Professional),
Okechukwu Ajah (Public Affairs and Good Governance professional),
Osita Nwangwu (Product Lead, Assistant Director Genesys Tech Hub).

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Bringing an interesting edition of the Awakening program today on “Driving Active Youth Participation in Good Governance”.

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CALLERS REVIEW

Caller 1: Steven (Kogi). Let me start this way. There’s no reason at all for a man to rape a woman, even if she’s stacked naked. They are described as lower animal. My advice to young ladies is to stop visiting these guys in their homes, it can lead to rape.

Lyrics: How do we handle stigmatization?

Caller 2: (Oji River). There’s no reason to rape a woman. It should a capital offence.

Chiege: Handling stigmatization - Letting people know that, it’s not your fault. It can be your fault that you were raped and taking precautions on offers such as drinks, visiting a man’s house, because they are a lot of animals out there.

Chifumnanya: Public Enlightenment, having these announced everywhere, so that it’s easier to speak up. For everyone, who has been violated, without getting justice, there are consequences, it’s either the person begins to withdraw or as they grow they begin to become these things we speak. It very important that we need to teach children, that it’s important to speak up.
There are agencies, we can report to, such as: National Agencies for Prohibition against Trafficking (They have different units to addressing these crimes) they are in all the 36 states of the Federation. Sexual Assault Response Center (SARC) in Enugu. If people would be made to know that these things actual exists, it would help to curb these things.

Lyrics: Have we had cases where rape victims cases have been thrown away either from the NGOs and government officials?.

Chiege: For the Police yes, but NGOs have been the ones with the load. NAPTIP have been so amazing. They’ve been doing well even with the little funds they have.

Winnie: What is the level of reported cases in the South-East? What is the level of males, do we have males who have also come up to report cases of sexual abuse?

Chiege: From research it’s common in the North. I’m not saying it isn’t in the South-East too. Yes, there’s been reported cases according to NAPTIP. But, I haven’t seen any records of males reporting it. I don’t think it’s what men are more vocal about.

Chifumnanya: Some NGOs are really trying to document these. I know only very few cases and where boys reported. Parents need to be very sensitive with their children. A lot of males don’t report this cases. A lot of times, men do not see it as damages.

Lyrics: What do we think should be a penalty for false accusation?

Chifumnanya: Yes. When you intentionally decide to put the person in jail.

Chiege: I would agree with Chifumnanya. When you intentional decide to put the person in jail.

Caller 3: (Oji River). Any case without Evidence, I don’t think it would go far.

Lyrics: I think, it should be made known to people and potential perpetrators.

Winnie: What advice do you have for South-East Governors towards handling Sexual Violence?

Chiege: The government really have a lot of work to do. Again on the other hand, NAPTIP is a government agencies, but they could gather would more momentum to get this to work.

Chifumnanya: Just like she said, we need special courts to be adopted into the system to get justice served.

Lyrics: Yes, I think the Media also have a role to play in getting theses know.

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