“Any culture that fails to train and nurture her offspring, will soon find herself to blame; she will be betrayed, denied, and killed by them. Likewise, any society that builds edifices leaving the people unbuilt will soon find those edifices demolished by such unfortunate members. Build the people, and the people will build the structure”, says Matt Amosu, in his write-up “Man and Society”. This seed of truth planted on the fertile soil of conscience has undoubtedly fallen on the rocky heart of Nigeria as a nation, and smashed by her leaders, whose goal painfully is to lead her wards to the slaughter, becoming a murderer instead of being a mother. On this predicate, one would be condemned to ask: is there hope for the Nigerian youth? Is there any justifiable epistemic truth in the claim that Nigerian youths are leaders of tomorrow? Is this claim not an irony when our leaders still parade themselves in the deceptive regalia and skin of youths while their voices are evidently those of our grandfathers just as “the skin was that of Esau, and the voice that of Jacob”? (cf. Gen. 27:22) It is on this premise that we intend to justify that the claim: “youths are the leaders of tomorrow”, especially in the present day Nigeria, is like considering a mirage as a pool of water, and a blatant lie.
Who is a Youth?
The United Nations defines the youth as a person between the age group of 15 and 24 years, without prejudice to other definitions by Member States. Going further, the African Youth Charter of 2006 defines youths as persons between the ages of 15 and 35 years. On a similar basis, the 2009 Nigerian Youth Policy chronologically defines the youth as persons of age 18 to 35 years; and just after a decade, the new National Youth Policy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (2019) defines the youth as persons between the ages of 15 and 29 years. This provision recognizes the “Not Too Young to Rule” law, which pegs the age limit for the office of the President at 35. Nigeria’s population was slightly182 million in 2015 . According to the census, in 2006, Nigeria had 50 million people in the age group of 15 to 34 years which roughly covers the age bracket of 18 to 35 years that chronologically defined the youth in the 2009 National Youth Policy . In this essay, our youth is any individual within the ages of 18 and 35 years as stated in the 2009 Nigerian Youth Policy. Youths are generally conceived as leaders of tomorrow. This is because they are Young Opulent Umpires of Transforming Hopefuls. “Youths are one of the greatest assets any nation can have. Not only are they legitimately regarded as partners of today, they are also the greatest investment for a country’s development. ” Little wonder, they are regarded as the building blocks and the future of every nation. Youths are valued possessions and a vital thread constituting the tapestry of every great nation or region such that the stronger and better equipped the youths of a country, the more developed that country. On the contrary, instead of the leaders of the present day Nigeria allow the youths ascend the throne of leadership; it is painful that the masquerading pharaohs’ minds are veiled with egocentrism and “I-aloneism”. In line with the above, there is no gainsaying that the leaders of yesterday are still clinging on to the baton of power leaving us to wonder and question: when exactly is the future going to arrive for the youths? When will the tomorrow that the elders promised us come? These questions and many more are still begging for answers.
The Present Day Nigeria and Leadership
The leadership of Nigeria as at today is nothing but an irony. While a very good number of politicians in power are acclaimed as leaders, they are nothing but crickets and murderers. Taking a look at the Nigerian comatose economy managed by a group of aged, inefficient and incompetent fellow citizens, who keep playing “Oliver Twist” and recycling themselves, hoarding the nation’s wealth for their children, family and generation yet unborn, it becomes very easy to conclude that the set of leaders occupying the political class in Nigeria are those who are egocentric, selfish and heartless, unable to sympathize with the deep yearnings and aspirations of the people. Truth be told, with over 180 million population and a one-third of the population constituted by young, vibrant, energetic and gifted youths, is it not disturbing to imagine that not even one out of the long list of ministers, commissioners, 109 members of the Senate and 360 members of the National Assembly belong to the youth class? In a foresighted system, it should be expected that a very good number of those belonging to this leadership circle, excluding the sitting President, would/should nurse the aspiration of climbing to the uppermost echelon in due time. But sadly enough, none of these members of the ruling class falls into the category of youth as defined above. While it is valid to raise a counter argument that there are countries with aged leaders who are doing well, coupled with the undeniable fact that there are seemingly youth persons who are holding political offices and have no remarkable impact; on the other hand, it is far more reasonable to hold that there are countless number of youths who are resourceful, capable and have all it takes to administer reasonable and outstanding leadership and be given opportunity to rule.
The number of ineffective old leadership in Nigeria is in geometrical progression such that the leadership cadre across the 36 states of Nigeria is filled with old politicians – those with somewhat “outdated” and overdue thinking-pattern who are of the notion that Nation building is their exclusive right and even go as far as preventing the youths who have the potentials to achieve the achievable to attain such enviable positions of service. Evidences of these are at play in the very words of the former governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, aged 70 (as purported), who used the expression “emi lo kan” which literally translates to “it is my turn” to express his entitlement to the ruling party’s presidential ticket, having helped foremost leaders in the country to achieve their political aspirations; and in the employment of the tool of disenfranchisement as evident in the high price tags placed on the party tickets for the different political offices across the country, thus depriving the Nigerian youths whose income cannot match up with the exorbitant ticket prices the ray of hope of becoming someday the leaders of the tomorrow of their yesterday. Meanwhile, prior to democracy in 1999, the Nigerian State was governed by a General whose age falls into the age-bracket of youths as stated in her 2009 Youth policy, and as recognized by international agencies. History has it that General Yakubu Gowon (Rtd) – the third president of Nigeria, and the youngest Head of State ever, started ruling at the age of 31 and has the longest tenure in the Nigerian history having spent nine years in office. Not too far from this are the likes of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and General Muhammadu Buhari who both enjoyed their first experience of ruling the country at the uppermost leadership echelon at ages 37 and 41 respectively. I, therefore, dare to ask: are they still not the ones in power? Are they still not the ones at the helm of affairs? Today, we see a re-instatement of some of these men ruling the country even in their old age. The overriding place of General Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) in the present day Nigerian political system is a clear case study. If I can remember, right before I was born, President Muhammadu Buhari was a Head of State, and 32 years later, he is the President of Nigeria. What hope is left for the average Nigerian youth? What hope is left for the youths whose tomorrow is championed by their grandfathers? What hope is left when the country is ruled by old men who are even far older than the country itself?
The Irony of Nigerian Youths as Leaders of Tomorrow
There is no tomorrow on the Nigerian political calendar. What we have is yesterday and today. If tomorrow exists, tell me why a79 years old man should still be piloting the affairs of the Nigerian Federation. Tell me why a Head of State in the 1980swho is equivalent to a President should still be President today. Tell me why a Governor should rule, and after serving for eight years still jostle for the House of Senate. Are they the only thinktanks that the Nigerian nation has? Are they wiser than the biblical Solomon? Tell me why a man who is supposed to be resting with the grandchildren by his side should still be hustling and jostling for political positions. If youths are truly leaders of tomorrow in a nation such as ours, then politicians should stop recycling our leaders. Of a truth, the leadership of Nigeria as at today is nothing but an irony, and without equivocation, youths are actually not leaders of tomorrow in the present day Nigeria. In a survey conducted in 2018, it was discovered that Nigeria has the potential to maximize its economic growth in the future because they discovered a very powerful asset: the youths. But has Nigeria ever tapped into this important, valuable, money-generating asset? Have they invested into it? The answer to all of these is a capital “NO”. Are old people still occupying leadership position? Yes and yes!!! But is this the way forward? Let us come to think of it: how old was Barrack Obama when he became the President of the United States – the most powerful country in the world? He was barely 48 years old and 55 when he left office. In Nigeria, it is as though for one to become the president, one has to be 60 if not 70, and have connections. All of these are indications that the future of the Nigerian youths is bleak and there is need for the “old cargoes” to be thrown out of board.
Conclusion
Conclusion From the foregoing, it is crystal clear that to say that the “youths are leaders of tomorrow” in the present day Nigerian politics is like playing on one’s intelligence. It is a claim of deception, falsehood, and a blatant lie; and unless the father becomes the son by being reminded of the fact that he is old and should retire, and the son becomes the father by being allowed to assume the position of authority, and also understand that he has come of age and it is his time, can we speak of the youths being the leaders of tomorrow. In making for a great and healthy democracy, and save the future of our treasured edifices as earlier noted in the introductory paragraph, we must allow the youths to participate at all levels of policy and decision-making. Only then can the youths become the leaders of tomorrow, and the tomorrow is now!!!Let me add that history never forgets, and if things are not quickly put in place, what came to play during the time of Adolph Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Karl Marx may likely occur again, and when that happens, there would be “fire on the mountain”
