The Time Is Now For A Youthful Nigerian President

Akin Olayemi

For us as a country, our problem is attitudinal. Attitudinal problems on the part of the leaders and the led which make corruption attractive to both the masses and the elites.

Just as the political class sees no big deal in betraying the public trust.

The youths especially are the architect of their misfortune which evolves their non-inclusion in governance and unemployment.

How? The psychology of an average Nigerian youth has been programme such that he believes he has no purpose in life outside of being used by the politicians.

He believes that elective offices are the surest ways to quick riches for politicians hence the burden of needs he placed on them .

while politicians on their parts see the youths as tools with which to achieve their political ambitions regardless of how inhumane or uncertain it might be.

It is said that politics is a game of numbers. The greater the followers, the greater the chances; but for the Nigerian youths,

in spite of their huge population, they are at a disadvantage to the point that their large numbers are not made to count.

Why is this so? Rather than being actively involved in the electoral process to displace the older political class who has been recycling themselves in power since the country’s independence in 1960.

The youths who most time are unperturbed prefer to be used for electoral violence while the older political elites eat their future away.

Who will bail the Nigerian youths out of this political quagmire and uncertainty?

Who will liberate the youths and secure their future from the power thirsty politicians who would rather die in office than to relinquish power to the youths?

The solution to the above puzzle is with the age bracket that constitutes the youth.

The answer is for you and me to equip ourselves with our permanent voters’ card to sack the older generation politicians to elect younger and resourceful leaders of choice.

Nigeria is endowed with both human and natural resources. But in spite of this abundance, the youths are in perpetual fear of wants and poverty.

The youths are overly homeless, jobless and are everywhere in shackles of social and political slavery in their father’s land.

One of the aims of education is that it fights ignorance and it is also meant to secure the future.

But in Nigeria reverse is the case as many of her youths in spite of being educated with university degrees are irrelevant with unsecured future.

Many of Nigerian youths are not useful both to themselves and to their nation. They are of age yet unable to fend for themselves.

They are professionals yet they live like mediocre with no focus.

It is only in Nigeria that elections are held for the sake of it without any impact on the lives of the citizenry.

Nigerian youths are able and active but they are unable to use their strength and youthfulness meaningfully to better their lives because jobs are not readily available for them.

As stated earlier, Nigeria’s problems is attitudinal.

Therefore until we take a U-turn from the status quo, the entire populace can never be redeemed from the grip of political slavery and maladministration it is enmeshed in.

If we do things the old ways, we tend to get the same old results.

If I may ask, how old were Nigeria’s founding father – Late Nnamdi Azikwe, Pa Anthony Enahoro, Herbert Macaulay- when they fought for the country’s independence?

How old were former military Head of state Gen. Murtala Muhammad, Gen. Yakubu Gowon.

The incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari when he was military head of state in 1983? They were in their thirties and forties certainly.

But for today’s Nigerian youth, the case is different because at age 30 and 40, an average Nigerian youth is still at a crossroad not knowing what to make of his/her life.

At age 30 and above, Nigeria youths are still either searching for jobs or seeking for admission into the universities.

And after spending years acquiring knowledge at the institution of higher education, unfortunately, their situations remain unchanged.

It is most unfortunate that the older generation and present crop of political leaders are wasting away the youthfulness, intelligence and resourcefulness of the Nigerian youth.

By giving them no opportunity to make input in governmental activities.

Infrastructure deficit, poor economy, poverty, unemployment and corruption of successive governments are suppressing and dehumanising the country’s active population.

But is there any solution to this? Certainly, the only way out of the youth political insignificance is a call for the revolution but not of violence but of the ballot.

There is an urgent need for a peaceful electoral revolution which will see a youth mounting the seat of leadership.

A revolution which will displace the older generation from power and enthrone a resourceful and intelligent Nigerian youth who has all it takes to take the country to where it truly belongs.

The country deserves a revolution that will ensure a free and fair election where equity and fair play holds supreme and not an election that is characterised by power play and bribery.

One many argue that bulks of Nigerian youths are irresponsible.

That many of them engage in cybercrime and social vices. That they are not deserving of the exalted position of the president of the federal Republic of Nigeria.

But I say Nigerian youths are ready for the task of nation building. They are equipped mentally and physically but the older generations are not.

So, why the wait? Get your PVCs and come 2019 general elections, vote for that youth that is deserving of that position to take Nigeria to a greater height.

God Bless Nigeria.