As Nigeria celebrates 64 years since Independence in October 1960, Hon. Natasha Osawaru, a member of the Edo State House of Assembly, has said Nigeria has never been like this.
NaijaOnPoint.com.ng (NOP) reports Osawaru said this on Tuesday in reaction to President Bola Tinubu’s 2024 Independence Day speech while noting that the country is sad and that the people are hungry and cannot afford food.
“The country is sad and I actually wanted the President to speak more on getting food palliatives because people are hungry. People cannot afford food in this country. Even if it is 7 days of food palliatives, just give out; let people eat. Nigeria has never been like this.
“Lets say we see where you are going with the country, for you to make such a drastic change, you must realise that it will hit your citizens hard,” the Edo lawmaker said.
Speaking when she was featured on the Morning Brief programme on Channels TV, Osawaru also commented on the national youth conference proposed by President Tinubu in the Independence Day broadcast.
While thanking the President for giving the youths a chance to showcase their talents, Osawaru said the national youth conference should not be another effort in futility.
“The youths are the voice of Nigeria. Anyone who does not know that at this point is on the way to failure. I am all about the youths and in politics the youths are taking over the space heavily.
“I am excited because no one is giving up again and our voices are being heard. We are not just talking. It is hard; it is difficult but we have infiltrated the space so much that I could be in the House at the age of 28 last year. It was very difficult but it did come to pass. It has been a hell of a ride but we will keep pushing.
“Thanks to the President for giving the youths a chance to showcase our talents. By God’s grace, God will see us through.
“We need to put our house in order. We are having a youth confab where we are speaking and we are not being heard. I am not throwing jabs at any institution. It is more like throwing your words into the air.
“The only advice I have for Nigerian youths at this point is that there is a certain point you get in government that you are going to be able to effect change the way you actually want.
“I came in for various reasons and the reason I came in for are kind of, there is almost like a blockage. I can hardly break through it. I never gave up. If we keep talking, keep pushing, eventually, you cannot kill the masses.
“I really feel like we are the problem because we have so much youths. It is just that we give up so easily. The truth is, if we keep going, our voices would be heard.
“Mine is more or less like more inclusion of the youths in politics and not shutting our voices up. I think that should be a major conversation at this so called confab and then telling the government to let the country run without oppression because the youth wing, we get so much jabs from our peers, friends, families and now, the government is always trying to oppress us.
“Edo State for a while, where I am a member of the State House of Assembly has really changed. It is easy for us to contest and lead in the space. Two things were against me: being a youth and being a woman.
“But, my Governor came out and said any woman that is contesting, and any youth, I am coming there to contest with you and it gave me a little bit of strenght and every one else had good Governors in their States, we should infiltrate the system,” Osawaru said.