An 81-year-old woman, Yemisi Olanrenwaju, has urged youths to be patriotic and contribute their quota to the development of the country by voting during elections.
Olanrewaju gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday in Lagos during the by-elections holding in the state.
Residents are at the polls to elect their representatives in Lagos-East Senatorial District and Kosofe 2 state constituency in by-elections, following the death of the former legislators elected in the 2019 polls.
Olarenwaju had arrived at Ward Orimedu 2, Community Grammar School, Iberekodo, Ibeju Lekki, polling unit code 001, early in the day to cast her vote.
She said voting was a duty and a right, which everyone including the youth in the country should imbibe.
“I have always exercised my right to vote from my youth till date; I see it as a way to show how patriotic I am as a Nigerian.
“When you come out to vote, you are letting your leaders know that you expect them to lead well when they have attained office.
“That is why I am encouraging our youths to imbibe the habit of voting during elections; they should see themselves as the future of the country, and so the need to be patriotic, ” she said.
She said that many youths were facing unemployment challenges, which pushed many of them into crime.
Olanrewaju urged the government and well meaning Nigerians in the private sector to create more job opportunities for youth.
The octogenarian also called on the government to create skill acquisition programmes to engage many youths, especially young women, so that they could become entrepreneurs.
“Many young women tend to make themselves available to men because of poverty, lack of job.
“However, if they are well engaged either through employment or skill acquisition, they can also be boss of themselves, thereby creating job opportunities for other people.
“We need to develop as a nation and the youth play a huge role in achieving growth and development,” she said.
NAN reports that voters at the polling unit were orderly in casting their votes.
However, many did not observe the COVID-19 protocols of wearing face masks and social distancing.
This was in spite of the appeal by the supervisory presiding officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission, who pleaded anonymity, to the voters to adhere to the protocols.