2015 GENERAL ELECTIONS AND THE FUTURE OF NIGERIAN YOUTHS: LEADERSHIP SYSTEM IN FOCUS. All over the world, the paradigm of shifting political leadership to the doorsteps of the youths who have the ability, energy, vision and courage to take democratic governance to the next level is fast gaining grounds. But, here in Nigeria, the youths are often used as errand boys, thugs and used and dumped before, during and after elections by some of our elders. This is even more pathetic, because some of them who are in positions of authority today were people who enjoyed the benevolence of the elders of their time, but, today, some of them have removed the ladder and the platform provided for them by our founding fathers.The Nigerian youth is today called all sorts of names; while some said they were inexperienced and incapable of been entrusted with leadership, others said, they had not demonstrated leadership qualities. This was what the APC national leader, Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu told Leo King of the Voice of America (VOA) in the interview he granted to the broadcast station but was aired on August 1, 2013. While King suggested to Tinubu on the need to give younger people the chance of governance and also complained on how the youths have been sidelined by Nigerian elders, Tinubu responded by saying: “Some of the young ones have not demonstrated some qualities that will assure Nigerians that they are ready for leadership”. While I may not disagree outright with him in his assertion, but, I must also ask, how can the young ones be trained and where is the opportunity and the platform for them to demonstrate their leadership qualities when some of the elders continue to use and dump them during and after elections? The contention and assumptions that politics is not meant for the youths and those that are regarding youths as rash, uncontrollable and irresponsible are doing so because they believe that the role of youths in the society is to obey and to take orders is misleading and erroneous. Ethically, politics is not exclusively reserved or preserved for any particular group or class in the society. It is unnatural for one to dictate for one where to belong or what to partake in within the society. Such practices are morally wrong and totally against the principle of justice. In the sociological aspect, youths are seen as catalyst or elixir that every society require for its development. They are regarded as a leavening process in any society, be it primitive or modern. This dynamic nature of youths enables society to be progressive, otherwise it will be divided. The dynamic nature of youths helps to quicken the pace of development in society. A society that discourages youths activities is working towards its own destruction. Therefore, any society that need development must encourage its youths. Youthful zeal and exuberance must not be suppressed, if not development and new ideas will equally be suppressed. Youths are the foundation of every growth in the society. Therefore, without the youths participation in politics, the politics of the society will degenerate, contaminate, corrupt, defile and uninteresting. Furthermore, from the available literatures and books i read, gave a vivid account on the roles young men have excelled in politics and made history in their youthful days. Such men include Prof. Parth Otomi, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Anthony Enahoro, Aminu Kano, Ahmadu Bello, etc. These men achieved their greatness and took the world by surprise during their youthful days. Therefore, youths really have a major role to play in the development of Nigeria, Africa and the world at large. In fact, there is nothing done today in which youths are not given a place. They are dominating the world and if we go into research work of highly advanced politics we will find that the world today is being ruled by youths. In conclusion, for Nigerian youths to discover their glorious past and take their place in the political affairs of the nation as general elections approaches, there is the urgent need to come together and support one another in attaining our political dreams irrespective of our religion, tribe, social status or political party. Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself, when you become a leader, success is all about growing others.- Jack Welch. Aluta continua, victoria ascerta. Comr. Esson Bako, National Vice President, Nasarawa State Students Association (NASSA),. wrote from Nasarawa State University, Keffi.
Posted on: Sun, 11 Jan 2015 16:16:27 +0000
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