No-active-roles-for-the-nigerian-youths-involvement-in-nigerian-governments-the-need-to-change-this-for-a-brighter-tomorrow
September 7, 2020 | News
NO ACTIVE ROLES FOR THE NIGERIAN YOUTHS INVOLVEMENT IN NIGERIAN GOVERNMENTS – THE NEED TO CHANGE THIS FOR A BRIGHTER TOMORROW
We believe it is a big limitation to our nation building process that Nigerian laws, policies, political structures, practices and most importantly, the attitude of the political leaders - do not encourage or make it easy for the Nigerian youths to be involved in Government/Governance. They say the youths are the future leaders of tomorrow. But the Nigerian youths really do not have that hope of being leaders of tomorrow because of the laws, policies, political practices and attitudes of Nigerian politicians, which they have put in place over the years to keep them in Government and keep the youths out of Government. Today, the use of the ‘age factor’ and ‘years of experience’ have prevented educated, talented and gifted youths from taking part and active roles in Government and Governance, or even holding sensitive Executive portfolios both in Government and in the Private sector.
In other words, despite the fact that the Nigerian youths surely have key and major roles to play in the development of this country, sadly, the Nigerian youth of today is one that is faced with conflicting dilemmas thrust at his/her shoulders, often times, by the society they find themselves in and the older generation. To the extent that the Nigerian youth, rather than being the cornerstone that should propel the development of its environment - is today constituting a group of individuals that are hopeless, confused, unfocused and are ready tools in the hands of the older ones in the society, in perpetrating all manner of criminal activities and hindrances to overall society development.
The funny thing is that we have failed to look back and ask: How old was Martin Luther King Jnr, Alfred (AD) King, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Kwame Nkrume, Obafemi Awolowo, Anthony Enahoro, Aminu Kanu, Shehu Shagari, Tafawa Balewa, Ahmadu Bello, Yakubu Gowon, David Ejoor, etc.; when they became leaders in their respective areas of endeavors and make great positive impacts in their generation. In fact, some of the positive impacts and admirable legacies that were left behind by some of men, have not only outlived them but have become history reference points for the future generations to always learn from. So, why is the present generation of older political leaders stopping and making it hard for our present youths to be taking active roles/parts in the nation building process in Government and Governance?
Considering the fact that the Youths are regarded as ‘the building blocks of a nation, and the role of the youths in ‘nation building’ occupies the central place; for the country which utilizes its youth in a right direction are more developed, then we would not be mincing words when we say that a lot of us are fed up with the saturation of the Nigerian political and leadership space in Governments by the country’s older generation’ whose ideas have obviously become senile, outdated and archaic in today’s world - thereby retarding innovative growth and development. Also, the energy, agility and brightness of the minds of the youths’ act as a torch bearer for a nation. On the contrary, the country which fails to realize the importance of the youth lags behind in every department of life. That is why the stronger, more vibrant and politically aware and involved the youths are, the more developed the nation is.
One militating factor that limits the Nigerian youths from participating actively in the country’s politics and Government, is the fact that the country’s type of Presidential system of government is too expensive, hence it will not be easy for a youth to win election because he does not have the resources and wherewithal to build political structures in all the Wards/Local Government Areas to stand a chance of participating in vying for elective positions in Government. Since that is the case, what stops the existing elected political leaders from massively appointing these young Nigerians with modern ideas to take charge of sensitive positions in Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), as Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, Commissioners, Directors, High Court Judges, Board Chairmen, Managing Directors, Permanent Secretaries, General Managers, etc. to build them up to take higher future responsibilities? Why should we keep recycling old hands in these areas of Government instead creating room and allowing the younger generations to fill these positions in Government?
Even with the recent signing into law, by President Muhammadu Buhari, of the “Not Too Young To Run”, which seeks to reduce the age qualification for President from 40 to 30; Governor from 35 to 30; Senator from 35 to 30; House of Representatives membership from 30 to 25 and State House of Assembly membership from 30 to 25 – much is still left to be desired, as the said law is only still on paper. For it is one thing to have such a law in place, it is another thing entirely for those concerned to allow the law to become a reality in the political landscape of the country. they cannot be telling the youths that they can now contest for political positions in government, when they have left other factors and political practices and policies that still limits, and makes it practically impossible for the youths to stand a chance to be in sensitive Government positions.
The Nigerian older political leaders should realize that they need to create avenues of mentorship and development for the Nigerian youths to grow, by giving them active responsibilities and roles in Government, and not leaving them as mere observers. President Donald Trump of America is over 70years old, but he keeps appointing many young Americans within the US Government and White House. Just look at the White House spokesperson/Press Secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, she is a very young American. Which is why it baffles us why do most Nigerian politicians allow our youths as only their Personal Assistants (PAs) or all such categories of jobs at that level? We need the young men and young women to be in charge. The young people, they have the energy, resourcefulness, intelligence, smartness, ideas, innovation, etc. more than the aged-experienced persons that are usually appointed to Head these Government Offices/MDAs. Whenever some of these Nigerian youths go for interviews for Government roles, they tell them off with the usual language of them not having the experience. But where will they get the experience from, if the relevant authorities do not engage them in the first place?
Nigeria is so-blessed with a lot of young and vibrant young men and women who can turn the country’s fortune round for the good of all. Since the youths won’t obviously have the money to be elected into top Government positions, then why can’t they be appointed to head sensitive Government portfolios to help them to run the administration? Many of these Nigerian youths have the technical know-how, expertise, innovative spirit to effectively and efficiently handle/manage every Government MDAs at all levels of Governance, including that of the Private sector. Why do we use age and years of experience to prevent them from handling sensitive positions? Many of these Nigerian youths will do better than the so-called aged and experienced persons in different Government Offices, be it at the Local Government level, State level, Federal Government level, the Judiciary and the Organized Private Sectors. If truly the Nigerian youths are our future leaders, then why can’t the relevant political authorities in the Government at all levels and the Private sector, not engage them to manage most of the sensitive Departments and Offices within them?
Recently, the General Superintendent of Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Folorunsho Kumuyi, and Professor Pat Utomi, noted how the youths are the country’s future with the ability to turn around Nigeria’s challenges. Nothing can be further from the truth. With this at the back of our mind, we believe it is about time to allow the enlightened youths of this country with the right attitude to be on the driver’s seat and actively participate in government at all levels.
Our Nigerian political leaders and those in the Organized Private Sector should stop and prevent our Nigerian youths from running to other countries across the world to help develop them, leaving their fatherland in the hands of the aged that have refused to give them a chance in Government. The Nigerian youths should be appointed as Heads of various Government Ministries, Departments, Agencies, Commissions, Companies and Parastatals. We urge the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, and all the State Governors to act in this light.
We should realize that the Nigerian youths are the ‘biggest assets’ we have in this country. They cannot be allowed to go help build and develop other countries, when their energies and innovativeness are needed more at home. In every seminars/workshop, they keep on saying that our youths are future leaders, but the Government and the relevant authorities are not engaging them enough to help develop this country. This urgently needs to be changed.
Zik Gbemre.
We Mobilize Others to Fight for Individual Causes as if Those Were Our Causes
We believe it is a big limitation to our nation building process that Nigerian laws, policies, political structures, practices and most importantly, the attitude of the political leaders - do not encourage or make it easy for the Nigerian youths to be involved in Government/Governance. They say the youths are the future leaders of tomorrow. But the Nigerian youths really do not have that hope of being leaders of tomorrow because of the laws, policies, political practices and attitudes of Nigerian politicians, which they have put in place over the years to keep them in Government and keep the youths out of Government. Today, the use of the ‘age factor’ and ‘years of experience’ have prevented educated, talented and gifted youths from taking part and active roles in Government and Governance, or even holding sensitive Executive portfolios both in Government and in the Private sector.
In other words, despite the fact that the Nigerian youths surely have key and major roles to play in the development of this country, sadly, the Nigerian youth of today is one that is faced with conflicting dilemmas thrust at his/her shoulders, often times, by the society they find themselves in and the older generation. To the extent that the Nigerian youth, rather than being the cornerstone that should propel the development of its environment - is today constituting a group of individuals that are hopeless, confused, unfocused and are ready tools in the hands of the older ones in the society, in perpetrating all manner of criminal activities and hindrances to overall society development.
The funny thing is that we have failed to look back and ask: How old was Martin Luther King Jnr, Alfred (AD) King, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Kwame Nkrume, Obafemi Awolowo, Anthony Enahoro, Aminu Kanu, Shehu Shagari, Tafawa Balewa, Ahmadu Bello, Yakubu Gowon, David Ejoor, etc.; when they became leaders in their respective areas of endeavors and make great positive impacts in their generation. In fact, some of the positive impacts and admirable legacies that were left behind by some of men, have not only outlived them but have become history reference points for the future generations to always learn from. So, why is the present generation of older political leaders stopping and making it hard for our present youths to be taking active roles/parts in the nation building process in Government and Governance?
Considering the fact that the Youths are regarded as ‘the building blocks of a nation, and the role of the youths in ‘nation building’ occupies the central place; for the country which utilizes its youth in a right direction are more developed, then we would not be mincing words when we say that a lot of us are fed up with the saturation of the Nigerian political and leadership space in Governments by the country’s older generation’ whose ideas have obviously become senile, outdated and archaic in today’s world - thereby retarding innovative growth and development. Also, the energy, agility and brightness of the minds of the youths’ act as a torch bearer for a nation. On the contrary, the country which fails to realize the importance of the youth lags behind in every department of life. That is why the stronger, more vibrant and politically aware and involved the youths are, the more developed the nation is.
One militating factor that limits the Nigerian youths from participating actively in the country’s politics and Government, is the fact that the country’s type of Presidential system of government is too expensive, hence it will not be easy for a youth to win election because he does not have the resources and wherewithal to build political structures in all the Wards/Local Government Areas to stand a chance of participating in vying for elective positions in Government. Since that is the case, what stops the existing elected political leaders from massively appointing these young Nigerians with modern ideas to take charge of sensitive positions in Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), as Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, Commissioners, Directors, High Court Judges, Board Chairmen, Managing Directors, Permanent Secretaries, General Managers, etc. to build them up to take higher future responsibilities? Why should we keep recycling old hands in these areas of Government instead creating room and allowing the younger generations to fill these positions in Government?
Even with the recent signing into law, by President Muhammadu Buhari, of the “Not Too Young To Run”, which seeks to reduce the age qualification for President from 40 to 30; Governor from 35 to 30; Senator from 35 to 30; House of Representatives membership from 30 to 25 and State House of Assembly membership from 30 to 25 – much is still left to be desired, as the said law is only still on paper. For it is one thing to have such a law in place, it is another thing entirely for those concerned to allow the law to become a reality in the political landscape of the country. they cannot be telling the youths that they can now contest for political positions in government, when they have left other factors and political practices and policies that still limits, and makes it practically impossible for the youths to stand a chance to be in sensitive Government positions.
The Nigerian older political leaders should realize that they need to create avenues of mentorship and development for the Nigerian youths to grow, by giving them active responsibilities and roles in Government, and not leaving them as mere observers. President Donald Trump of America is over 70years old, but he keeps appointing many young Americans within the US Government and White House. Just look at the White House spokesperson/Press Secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, she is a very young American. Which is why it baffles us why do most Nigerian politicians allow our youths as only their Personal Assistants (PAs) or all such categories of jobs at that level? We need the young men and young women to be in charge. The young people, they have the energy, resourcefulness, intelligence, smartness, ideas, innovation, etc. more than the aged-experienced persons that are usually appointed to Head these Government Offices/MDAs. Whenever some of these Nigerian youths go for interviews for Government roles, they tell them off with the usual language of them not having the experience. But where will they get the experience from, if the relevant authorities do not engage them in the first place?
Nigeria is so-blessed with a lot of young and vibrant young men and women who can turn the country’s fortune round for the good of all. Since the youths won’t obviously have the money to be elected into top Government positions, then why can’t they be appointed to head sensitive Government portfolios to help them to run the administration? Many of these Nigerian youths have the technical know-how, expertise, innovative spirit to effectively and efficiently handle/manage every Government MDAs at all levels of Governance, including that of the Private sector. Why do we use age and years of experience to prevent them from handling sensitive positions? Many of these Nigerian youths will do better than the so-called aged and experienced persons in different Government Offices, be it at the Local Government level, State level, Federal Government level, the Judiciary and the Organized Private Sectors. If truly the Nigerian youths are our future leaders, then why can’t the relevant political authorities in the Government at all levels and the Private sector, not engage them to manage most of the sensitive Departments and Offices within them?
Recently, the General Superintendent of Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Folorunsho Kumuyi, and Professor Pat Utomi, noted how the youths are the country’s future with the ability to turn around Nigeria’s challenges. Nothing can be further from the truth. With this at the back of our mind, we believe it is about time to allow the enlightened youths of this country with the right attitude to be on the driver’s seat and actively participate in government at all levels.
Our Nigerian political leaders and those in the Organized Private Sector should stop and prevent our Nigerian youths from running to other countries across the world to help develop them, leaving their fatherland in the hands of the aged that have refused to give them a chance in Government. The Nigerian youths should be appointed as Heads of various Government Ministries, Departments, Agencies, Commissions, Companies and Parastatals. We urge the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, and all the State Governors to act in this light.
We should realize that the Nigerian youths are the ‘biggest assets’ we have in this country. They cannot be allowed to go help build and develop other countries, when their energies and innovativeness are needed more at home. In every seminars/workshop, they keep on saying that our youths are future leaders, but the Government and the relevant authorities are not engaging them enough to help develop this country. This urgently needs to be changed.
Zik Gbemre.
We Mobilize Others to Fight for Individual Causes as if Those Were Our Causes