An average Nigerian youth sees an old politician as a leper and would hardly pause for a rethink if given a gun to pass a judgment on him. The sentiment is high. The informed are already getting used to the propaganda with which the old politicians further divide the youths through ethnic and religious lines just to drive home their selfish political ambitions, they are fed up with the godfatherism and suck my boot before you get there attitude of these gerontocrats.
I was involved in a political discussion with few friends. The most vocal of them kept reminding us of how the likes of Ambassador Wilberforce Juta, who was the governor of old Gongola state in 1983-October that year, Bamanga Tukur who succeeded Juta, Audu Ogbe who was a minister under Shagari and later PDP national chairman in their years of bounty, Sen. David Mark who was military governor of Niger state around 1984-1986 to mention a few would continue to dominate the political space of the federal republic.
He wondered if there are no young Nigerians of amazing potentials to be groomed and if the progenitor of the saying that youths are the leaders of tomorrow really contemplated Nigeria before proclaiming so. He was aghast as to when new names shall emerge in the scene-names of youths with no familiar surnames.
He therefore did everything permissible to his strength and knowledge to rouse the little spirit of patriotism in us to join the political revolution that to him would be inevitable in 2019 if Nigeria must be savaged and an average Nigerian youth given a comfortable home to hatch and harness his potentials.
MY TAKE
It is true that democratic process in Nigeria cannot birth a youth leadership in the nearest decades due to the faulty electoral and democratic structure we operate here and that for the youths to get involved, it must be a revolution as history clearly shows.
We must recall that when the honeymoon of the heroes of our republic came to an abrupt end, few youths at that period led by 28years old Nzeogwu revolted against the powers that be to reposition our nation and set us on the right path of progress, unity, self-dependence, integrity and development.
That revolution birthed the youngest president in our history, 31years old Yakubu Gowon whose infantile smile cannot only douse a raging volcano but also resuscitate an uncontrollable libido in an impotent woman.
A youth became president. God Almighty being so kind and inclined to youth leadership gave Nigeria the highest oil boom of her history under him.
How was it managed?
1.5million tons of cement running into billions of naira clogged at the harbour of Lagos and got destroyed after waiting for over 15 months to unload.
He rashly increased salaries by over 100% against sound economics advice and inflation which threw our economy into crises ensued.
Waste waste waste!!!!
The situation became more tensed and equally disappointing when the boyish Gowon lamented to foreign journalists that the country has lots of money but lacks the wherewithal to judiciously expend it.
What a clear sign of ineptitude and incompetence!
Was he under the spell of youthful exuberance?
We brushed it off hoping his kaki must have affected his leadership and political credentials.
Now comes the unfortunate Governor of Kogi who rode on the downfall of a political enigma to reap where he did not weed.
Kogi is currently boiling with uncountable lives lost due to the boyish cum youthful exuberance of the two unqualified youths of our time.
The situation in Kogi now is a clear attestation to the truism that when two elephants fight, the ground suffers.
Kogi workers and pensioners, with nobodies are bearing the brunt of this power play.
Dino Melaye is at the verge of being recalled from the senate via a constitutional process orchestrated by a governor who has joined the Ortom gang to throw kogi into turmoil and further make life bearable for Kogi people.
This governor has not paid single salary for over 10months which is almost his entire tenure but is spending billions of tax payers’ money on a kangaroo charade to recall one of the best senators of our time.
Dino Melaye too, who has proudly flouted all the ethics and decorum known to civilized politics and a thuggish fellow who looks more like a rascal and would be passed as a hooligan safe the little content of his brain is also on ground to help the Governor bring Kogi down to the rubbles through a squabble that has claimed lives and created avoidable tension in the state.
Can’t this energy and so much strength be exploited to radically bring Kogi to the times infrastructure-wise?
Dino is 43, the youngest Nigerian senator and Bello, 42 is the youngest Nigerian Governor.
Are the youths really mentally and psychologically prepared for the revolution my friend spoke about with so much passion and certainty?
Why is Macron 39, squarely making France great again when at 42, Bello is dragging Kogi to retrospect?
Does it have to do with the individual or are Nigerian youths generically affected by this sheer incompetence?
Should the elders continue?
What lesson have we learnt from history?
Does Gowon, Bello and Dino represent the strength, intellect and vigour of an average Nigerian youth?
Or are we all possessed?
God Bless Nigeria
– Comrade Okpe Sylvanus
Political Commentator and Civil Right Activist
Chief Political Editor at Statereporters online news cable
