Former Acting Governor of Kogi State, Asiwaju Clarence Olafemi has described the upcoming Kogi West Youth Dialogue as a welcome development.
Olafemi, in a chat with Kogireports on Tuesday, said the Youth Dialogue is a pioneering effort to engage current and future representatives of the good people of Kogi West.
He stated that leaders of his age never had such opportunity that the Youth Dialogue presents.
“In our time, there was no platform for advice and criticisms as is obtainable today. The, if you fail, you are on your own. If you succeed, all well and good. The upcoming Kogi West Youth Dialogue is a good initiative, we have not done this before,” he said.
The former Speaker, Kogi State House of Assembly recalled that he ventured into politics at an early age. He noted that his foray into politics started when he was a student at the popular ECWA Secondary School Mopa (ESSMO). He recalled that himself and a colleague, Henry Solomon revived the student union movement in Mopa.
“When I gained admission into Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, in 1974 I found myself in the popular ICSA Hall that was known to accommodate the drivers of student politics in the university then. That same year I was elected into the Student Representative Assembly (SRA) as the only Yoruba student in the assembly. I was the most vocal representative then and was made Chairman on international politics. We were actively involved in the struggle for liberation of African countries like Angola and South Africa. I participated actively in the successful ‘Ali-Must-Go mass action’.
” After NYSC in 1979, I joined the race for House of Representatives to represent Oyi Federal constituency under Action Group. The Oyi Federal constituency covered the present five local government areas in Okunland today. My father was a founding member of the Action Group political party and I was one of the financier of the party in the area then. As a leader in the party then, I worked hard and Action Group won in all elections across Oyi. We produced the senator then, Senator Justus Olu from Yagba West. However, Chief Cornelius Adebayo’s fight with Chief J. S. Olawoyin affected my House of Representatives ambition.
“In 1991, I was a governorship aspirant in Kwara state under National Republican Convention (NRC). I was the State Vice Chairman of the party at the time. With the creation of Kogi state, I shelved my ambition after Kogi elders met and decided that the first governorship slot be ceded to our Igala brothers and be rotated among the three senatorial districts thereafter. The first meeting was at Arc. Aduku’s house but the decision to field late Prince Abubakar Audu was reached at the second meeting in Obeira,” he said.
Olafemi, while encouraging youth to brace up for leadership, warned that the road is always rough.
The Kogi West Youth Dialogue is scheduled to hold on Saturday 25th November at Idrinana Hotel, Lokoja.
