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Nigerian Youth And the Democratic Dispensation
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“The youths are the leaders of tomorrow”.
This saying maybe in danger of not being realistic in an environment like Nigeria.
By definition and reasoning, a leader is someone who heads an organization, group of people and in our case a country; simply speaking to show the way, to be in charge, to be in control of things.
In a system like we have in Nigeria, our political office holders who go by their respective public offices such as President, Governors and even the heads of families are no where being leaders. A leader has to lead by example in the path of justice, peace, equity, fairness, humility, progress e.t.c.
Many young Nigerians (including myself) have a vision of a better Nigeria, a Nigeria that cares for Nigerians, a Nigeria that is just, promising and free of competition. More often than not this dream of better Nigeria, this vision of paradise in Nigeria seems to be nothing more than a dream each time the greedy policy makers show no intent to make a positive change in the society.
The youth share a set of predetermined ideas to move their communities forward on a progressive trend. In countries in Europe like Germany and other well developed nations of the world, appreciable portions of youth ideology are effected. In these countries the youth seems to have a voice. They are directly or indirectly part of the decision / policy making system in their respective communities. In Nigeria, the youths are seen as empty barrels and tools to call upon to disturb public peace. Most politicians enjoy the availability of youths (a good number of those either unemployed or uneducated) as they are employed as political thugs when the need arises, especially during elections.
Have these politicians and their associates taken time to realize that these youths one day become leaders in their various spheres of life? Do they know that these youths of today will be the ones to call the shots on them tomorrow? Have they pondered in their brain (for few of them who have and the many who have grown one for the purpose of filling their pockets) that these youths will tomorrow be the ones to proceed and carry on the acts they have left behind whether good or evil.
The answers to these questions are not far-fetched. A country like Nigeria pays little or no emphasis on the issue of youth development. Some of our youth manage and for some who are lucky enough to get their education to the university level. Not that these universities themselves are the best, they are simple the best around. Note that!
Education is just a minute part of developing our youths. This has been judiciously proven to be right in the Nigerian event. We have well educated governors who are drunkards and looters of public funds, highly placed and publicized professors who have not developed the guts to criticize wrong doing amongst leaders fro fear of being reprimanded, brilliant but not well educated( due to the state of our universities and the education system in the country) graduates roaming the streets filing applications to work in barbing saloon where they would rather thrive well, succeed and produce optimal results as doctors, scientists, lawyers, engineers and nation builders.
Not to shy away from the truth, Nigeria has no plan for its youth. Though, it might be written on paper, but it’s never implemented or when it is, little is being implemented.
The Youth Council of Nigeria, I hear is suppose to be an avenue for youths to be part of policy makers and nation builders. For me and those who share in my school of thought, the YCN is another one of those white elephants in the country that needs restructuring. It is simply an avenue fro some of us, I’ll rather call youth politicians to join the looting system.
Nigeria needs to take a position on where it stands on the issue of youth development. I thanks the heavens fro those who unmistakenly (or was it mistakenly?) thought of the idea of creating a ministry for the youths under the auspices of the Ministry of youth development.
Like I know, I have youths like myself out there. I am a youth with a vision, a mission and a predisposition that Nigeria would live up to expectations in years to come.
The youth should be given ample opportunity to decide how much they would pay for a litre of fuel in the next 10 years. The youths have a choice on how they want the electoral process to look like in the next 20 years. They have the right to call the shots on how the education system should be run. The youths are not just agents of political thuggery.
Our leaders should come to terms with the fact that some couple of years ago of for some of them (that have grown to reason in this jet age) that couple of decades ago, they were youths. I’m quite sure that many of them preferred the state of things then than to now. The youths are the leaders of tomorrow.
Let us all give this sentence a chance to be a reality in our country. And I mean leaders with a vision. Or would we like in past times, rely on the outside world to develop our youths. This time the onus lies on us.
....ADIEU WOLE AIYEGBUSI.

June 2, 2008 | 5:34 AM Comments  0 comments

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