By Stephen G. Fellajuah
Monrovia City Major Jefferson Koijee has called on the Liberian government to consider reflecting the National Youth Movement for Transparent Elections (Naymote) in the National Budget to enhance the institution’s financial strength in building the capacity of young people in the country.
Speaking at the opening of round six of a three-month package of what is tagged as the Young Political Leadership School Africa (YPLSA), Major Koijee said, “I would advocate for Naymote to be captured under the National Budget of Liberia, declaring himself as “Ambassador of the Young Political Leadership School.”
Koijee who address the opening program of the Young Political Leadership School Africa at the Belle Casa Hotel in Monrovia on October 14, 2019, said the impact of Naymote under the auspice of the Young Political Leadership have been providing key direction for the young people of Liberia and Africa in shifting the mentality of young people to politics. “We must begin to rise up to the occasion and call for equal opportunity for all genders,” asserted.
The country, according to Major Koijee, is engulfed with huge political malaise that everyone is taking side including religious leaders. He said the entire country is being divided, and that teaching the right lesson to young people from across the West Africa will change the dynamics for the better.
“Liberian use more energy in tearing one another down than celebrating them,” he indicated, noting that young people should not be used to foment violence in the country.
Koijee added that the founder of the Young Political School Africa, Eddie Jarwolo, continues to innovate ideas that have contributed to society, and pointed out that he (Koijee) cherishes the innovation by the Eddie Jarwolo group as civil society organization, a vision he feels should expand from Liberia to the rest of Africa as a welcoming undertaking within the continent.
Major Koijee explained that seven assistant ministers serving under the current administration of government have benefited from the Young Political Leadership School Africa program, which substantiate that the program is making tremendous impact in the political space of Liberia
Making official opening statement of the program, the Founder of the Young Political School Africa, Mr. Eddie Jarwolo, said Young Political School Africa is a political platform, organizing leadership development and campaign training programs for emerging young African leaders. He said the initiative was established in April 2016 by Naymote partners for Democratic development with the overarching goal to contribute to the formation of a new generation of leaders that would transform Africa.
The program brought together 75 participants from 8 countries across ECOWAS region to participate in YPLS, six semesters training for young professionals mostly below 35 years old.
He said the program will increase the knowledge and skills among young people in planning, organizing, and implementing political events, increase in the number of young people stepping forward to seek political offices at different levels of the governance structures, and increase knowledge among young people to strategize the mobilization of other young people to support their peers during political campaign processes. The program is also intended to build confidence and pave the way for emerging inspirational leaders in Africa.
Jarwolo said, “We have people from 12 counties in Liberia and 8 countries in West Africa. 47% women participants and most of them came from rural Liberia. We are preparing a very new generation of professional women into the political process in Liberia, to contribute to the foundation of new generational leaders to make Africa better for everyone of us.”
He added that if only young people work together and support each other, they would have a very powerful breed of leaders, including women in the legislature of Liberia.
He then asserted that after this round of training, “We want to see that you will work together as a team and to make this country better, be a transformational leaders that will make Africa a better place, to take leadership all over Africa.”
Comments are closed.