Looking at the past and present time, I saw how
pitiable the state of Nigeria is. However, on the brighter side, the optimistic
man in me strongly reassures me of the possibility of achieving a better
Nigeria. Thousands of scholars, socialist, political analyst to mention a few
have dissected the challenges facing Nigeria; most with feasible solutions. A
lot of us might wonder if this so called "solutions" are working at
all, but I put it to you, that the quality of people trusted with the major
responsibility of advancing this solution are totally out of place, and in fact
socially, morally, politically and intellectually deficient; whereas several
idealistic, ingenious, experienced and capable minds are yet to be given room
for the fatherland service not to talk more of a platform for an effective
change Nigerians yearn for. This specifically raise a clarion call to the
consciousness of the Nigerian Youth to crucially embark on quality leadership
search in all the nooks and cranny of this nation to
salvage us from the present quagmire of our nation’s putrid affairs.
As a matter of
concern and patriotism, over the years I have taken the challenges of Nigeria
personal and in the quest for change, I personally discovered and supports that
the major challenge faced by Nigeria is that of “Leadership"- however this
is not to say that this is the only challenge, but I strongly believe that the
issue of leadership/power is more consuming and it is upon this platform other
challenges takes a living. Consequently, I have taking my time to consciously
observe this, and also thought of the way out of the present abyss of
humanistic regression the Nigeria nation’s state have been sunk into. And so to
me the Nigerian youth is a major organ with the capacity to change the destiny of
this nation if well organised and conscientized; this buttresses the fact that the youth
possesses the vibrancy as well as a driving force to achieve a better Nigeria.
Sadly, one major synonymous word to leadership in
Nigeria is simply "corruption"- that word alone has done enormous
harm to the country in general; it has become a cankerworm that has eaten deep
into our economy. Today, there seems to be an impossibility in making a concise
description of this situation, as it has taking over our common value system.
Governance has been relegated to the affairs of fraudsters who clearly steal the
people’s wealth with impunity for themselves, their family and even their
unborn children. How outrageous and pitiable! And yet the Nigerian people
continue to encourage these unscrupulous entities with awards and accolades for
a pot of porridge. It will therefore not
be wrong to conclude that until we are determined as a people to reject these
indecent individuals that have hijacked the instrumentalities of power against
the will of the people, we may not move an inch in progress. And to me, it
is worrisome and disturbing that a reasonable percent of the Nigeria people
understands this logic that has continue to work against our collective destiny
of a new and better Nigeria, but we remain unperturbed.
If the estimated analysis is right that the youth
constitute 70 percent of the entire population, we would then agree that it is
indeed a very high number, this means with such number we have the overriding
capacity to change the fortunes of this nation, then why are we still stuck in the mud?
Why are we still swimming in the mucky oceans of corruption, political criminality,
ethnicity violence, religious war and economic retrogression? Our roads are
still death traps, our hospitals itself is like incurable disease, our airports
are journey to crash, we are still neck deep in tribal wars. Our nation is like
an egg heading towards the rock, with no attention, to fix it without delay, to
save us from the impending doom. But why are we here? What has taken us to this
pitiable state despite our endowments? Despite all our resources our nation
still wallop in poverty, an average Nigeria still lives below the normal standard
of living, we can’t still sleep with our two eyes closed. Our past and present
government has compromised our collective welfare on the altar of self
aggrandizement and personal riches. Our fellow youth has remained a thing of
abuse, neglect and has been made to serve as slave in their captors and task
masters vineyard. Our political institution has no distinct ideologies; a thief
in party ‘A’ yesterday immediately becomes a ‘progressive’ today after joining
party ‘B’, what a shame! Politics
without principle, wealth without work, right without responsibilities, fuel hike
today, tomorrow workers strike, bad economy and social maladies, executive
corruption and judicial compromise, and many other maladies has characterized
our present day Nigeria. What a country!
Yes
I know the problem are enormous, but rather than talking about these
multi-dimensional challenges facing us as a nation, it is time we direct our
collective efforts to proffering solutions to our problems. The solution does
not really need to be as complicated as the problem itself. To build a new and
better Nigeria is not something that can be achieved by magic. The solution to
our real problem does not need such violent atrocities and damages that are
already going on here, for Nigeria’s problems do not lack its own solutions.
But we must start by the following:
‘
RECOGNISING GENUINE, QUALIFY AND
COMPETENT LEADERS
Until we as a people resolve to recognise and identify
real leaders we may remain languishing in this present terrible state. One
major step that must be taken to achieve a better leadership in Nigeria is our
ability to recognise sincere and competent leaders. But the questions are:
"how do most people decide on whom to vote for?" Do we consider their
looks, how popular they are?, is it their tribe that matters?; how executive
they look in their campaign posters?, or by their words?. Of course we know
that in Nigerian politics "talk is cheap" or by the unfortunate gifts
we are given such as money, food items etc. or by their antecedents? Do we make
findings about them, what has been their business before, is politics shamefully
their profession and career?, One must be able to recognise a sincere and
competent leader, People need to have basic understanding of what they need in
the society, that way they can tell if someone is just fibbing or actually out
to protect the common interest of the people. We must be able to engage
intelligently; ask questions and analyse answers to their questions and not
just dance around with anyone promising bridge without knowing how long it
takes to build one.
It is therefore sacrosanct that Nigerians,
particularly the youth should recognise the fact that they cannot vote for any
politician who tries to buy them with gifts. As a youth, one must reject any
political party that is of same pedigree or that promotes the return of known
and corrupt intending political office holders. This point is based on what
Nigeria really lacks and needs. Youths must also frown against being used by
the so called politicians in executing dirty jobs, and what Nigeria needs now
is not just mere politicians but good leaders who have vision of what they
intend to do, a leader that has an
agenda and systematic ways of achieving it.
PATRIOTISM: One major
cankerworm that has eaten deep into the fabric of the nation’s value system is
the scale of degeneration in patriotism particularly amongst the self imposed
leaders. Any Nigerian who is not patriotic has no
business at all in governance. Patriotism is a very strong compelling and
persuasive spirit that stimulates purposeful leadership. And so it goes that
you can’t give what you don’t have. How many of our past and present leaders
have taken our national pledge with all faithfulness in action and practice
viz-a-viz
“I pledge to Nigeria my country
To be faithful, loyal and honest
To serve Nigeria with all my strength”
We
must embark on a very serious propagation of the seeds of patriotism. This is priceless,
no nation survives without it. It is a potent instrument of positive change. In
fact it should be included in our educational curriculum. Patriotism should be
preached and practiced in offices, media, in our markets, in our homes. A
Nigerian should be able to wake up and say God bless Nigeria and mean it with
all faithfulness.
WE MUST CREATE
EMPLOYMENT FOR OUR YOUTH: In October 2009, the House of Representative
came up with a figure saying out of 140 million Nigerians then, a total of
43million youth were unemployed. This is sad! Its committee on youth
development headed by Hon. Depo Oyedokun made the disclosure while speaking on
the stakeholder’s conference on youth development which was scheduled to hold
between Oct. 26 and 28, 2009 in Abuja. According to Statistician General of the
Federation Dr. Yemi Kale in 2012, “unemployment level among the youth in Nigeria
in the first quarter of the year (2012) rose rapidly with the National
unemployment level setting at 23% while rural and urban unemployment level were
respectively given as hovering around 25.6%
and 17.1% . The level of unemployment among male and female members of the
populace is between the ages of 17 and 45 which stand at 23.5% and 24.3%
respectively (The Guardian, Oct 20, 2012). With the above scenario I do ask
myself what exactly political leaders are doing to better the lots of Nigerian
Youths. Nigeria’s unemployment rate is getting frighteningly every day and
nothing is done to arrest the ugly situation now, it will sooner than later produce extremely dire
consequences, which part of it had already manifested, for example, the
insurgency of Boko Haram, among other consequences caused by the menace of
unemployment. I like to state categorically that to confront unemployment, we
must engage people who have ideas and will to serve Nigeria, otherwise this will
still remain issues unresolved.
Quoting latest statistics from National Bureau of
Statistics of the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Mallam Sanusi
Lamido Sanusi, said “the nation’s unemployment rate has doubled in the last
five years to hit the red-bottom cone” According to him “there is a serious
problem when a country’s economy is growing at seven percent and yet that
country could not provide job for its citizenry. It is like a broken record; a
country that is in the tomato belt and imports tomatoes paste”. But of the
truth, our successive leaders have over the years failed in their
responsibilities to provide an enabling environment for youth to explore their
God’s given potentials.
It is time for us as youth to wake up in search of
credible and honest leaders who have the interest of the youths at heart
without prejudice and chase out corrupt leaders parading themselves as
political leaders in the forthcoming election, 2015. This is the time, we must
take our destiny in our hands.
VALID REGISTER
& CITIZENS IDENTITY: The best and only starting point to solving Nigeria’s crime, population,
insecurity problems is for government at all levels to actively recognize
Nigeria’s real citizens through a concrete establishment of a valid and effective nation-wide computerized system of citizens
registry and identification. For this kind of accountability and orderliness to
be right and authentic, it must be done at citizens’ births and deaths. Because
of the non-existence of this system, Nigeria today has remained like a nation
where neither the government is really there for the people or the people for
the government. Let’s know who is a Nigerian, let’s be accountable for our
citizens.
WE NEED AN “ALL SUFFICIENT” NIGERIA: What a shame,
it is in Nigeria that a governor will govern a rich state for 8years and later
travel abroad to treat ordinary headache. We need a radical shift from the
status-quo. Our public office holders’ must be mandated to receive treatment in
our own public hospitals. The children of our public officers should attend our
public schools and universities. How can you help us when you don’t pass
through what we are passing through?
THE YOUTHS MUST BE GIVEN A PROMINIENT
ROLE IN OUR NATION’S BUILDING.
The strength of any nation is the sum-total of quality
of its youth. But the above assertion is no longer relevant in Nigeria
Political System. What we have had in recent time is neglect in the hands of
our political leading oxes, such that the future is no longer guaranteed. Our
expectation as youth was joy but what we have had is democracy of corruption.
In
1985, IBB was the President of Nigeria, and youths were told that they were the
leaders of tomorrow. Twenty five years
later, the same man said unequivocally in an interview with the BBC Hausa
service that the youths are not prepared for the leadership of the country.
This is the unfortunate mind set of the “baby boomers” of Nigeria (those
presently 70’s) and it is what informed the pattern of leadership succession in
Nigeria, so much so that a 60 years old man will be fighting for national youth
leader of a political party. But don’t they have the right to think this way?
When the so called youth has been enslaved for long and been made to survive on
the crumb of bread from the rich man’s table. When the future of the youth has
been mortgaged for personal gain,; when our minds has been denied the
advantages of instructions and enlightenment because of wreckage, neglect and
rape of the education sector for almost three decades, when our value system
has been warped by the bad leadership example, militancy and insurgency then is
inevitable. But Nigeria is a nation of youths, where over 70% of the population
is below 40years of age and this calls for a serious awakening of the spirit of
responsibilities in youths to take their place in governance and leadership.
LET’S SUPPORT THE NATIONAL DIALOGUE:
Nigeria
is a creation of colonial powers. A national conference devoid of ulterior
political motives as envisioned by Jonathan’s government should be sincerely
supported. This must be conducted as a matter of urgency to ascertain if truly
we want to co-exist as people bond together by destiny. We should ensure that
no ethnic group is coerced to be part of this Nation. Our country should not be
seen as a geographical patched work rather, a united nation with a constitution
of its own, written and adopted by all the ethnic groups in the country. We
must come to a round table and discuss our continuous existence.
WE MUST DRAW A CLEAR DISTINCTION BETWEEN
ACTIVISM AND STUPIDITY IN NIGERIA: Recently the level of value
degeneration in Nigeria as thrown up terrible characters in the name of
politics and youth activism. These are tools in the hands of their sponsors at
the detriment of their collective destiny and future. But for how long do we
instrument camouflage to charlatans, this has become an insult to our
collective sensibilities; these hypocrites have continue to embarrass the
genuineness of our few compatriots who see activism as an avenue to promote good
governance. This is a clarion call; we must stop this rascality, we all must be
bold, we must be courageous, we must be resolved to defend our common destiny
and that will be done by standing up against impostors parading themselves as
leaders. Our nation deserves to be saved. Our dreams of a better and greater
Nigeria begin with you. Long live Nigeria!
