The NIGERIA YOUTHS are saying 30% or NO DEAL

The Nigeria Youths are demanding 30% involvement in Government or no deal. Sequel to the demands of youths to be given opportunities to prove their relevance in rebuilding the new Nigeria, this is also a demand that must not be ignored. The battle for relevance in the society is a war that the Nigerian youth is not prepared to negotiate. An abstract of a publication on OpinionNigeria.com titled, ‘A Nigerian Youth that is Twice dreaded than Ebola’ has this to say:

The Government on its own disposition, has hardly seen the youths as the necessary replacement for sustaining our nascent democracy. Aside the speeches and political platforms designed to remote the youths towards actualizing their selfish propelled actions, the structures and laws of the land has created little or no room for youthful aspiration. In contrast to the vast publicity on youth empowerment, there seem to be sadistic feelings that the youths are a threat to public office holders.

The struggle among the women folks have succeeded in earning them 35% seats. Today, the incumbent government is reaping the dividend of this once detested aspiration of our women. It has never been easy for the Nigerian woman to achieve this feat. Many trials and compromise heralded the journey to this stage of our political history. Most often, those who stair the wheels of power often feel threatened by the legitimate demands from their subjects. Especially, when it has to do with, endorsing their participation in decision making. This egoistic inclination has caused our country elongated stagnation as well as exfoliating fortune. No single individual or group is an island neither are we a fountain of knowledge. Leadership has more to do with sharing ideas and contributive efforts from across the spectrum of society.

It is no longer going to be sit down as usual, for the youths of Nigeria. Our culture presuppose that we give regards to our elders and support their will. Our position in society doesn’t give us much of a choice with the prevailing youth exclusion in the politics of the land. It will amount to foolhardy to waste our energy, talents, gifts, knowledge and innovative skills in idleness. Our parents have given their best in an attempt to lift the nation to its pride of place in the African History. It is high time our contributions were not limited to carrying placards and running the streets for campaigns but, playing active part in the polity of the state. Our political office holders should pick a cue from global trends and best practices. The youths are now the movers and shakers of world politics, as the complexity of governance requires the ingenuity reposed in the youths.

The Ministries of youths development though commendable in their programs for the youths, Should begin to divert their attention from the notion that, all the youths require is jobs and loan support. The youths of Nigeria, have lived the last 3 decades like refugees in their father’s land. What is due us is often denied us and our legitimate rights abducted by those who want to have our attention drawn to their ill plans. Many a times we are weary in our demands, we practically beg for attention, and when we do finally get it, we have to earn it by licking the sores of the political god fathers. I cannot remember when youthfulness in Nigeria had been free from wishful hopes. We are the leaders of tomorrow, is what we are meant to read in textbooks or publications and hear same in seminars and fora organized to purportedly empower us.

Thirty percent (30%) is not a huge request from the youths, especially at this arduous times in our country. Technocrats have postulated that the youths are the only set in the subsets of society that can speedily activate a revolution. But owing to the devalued and inattentive attention given to the Nigerian youth, he has become an easy prey for the revolutionary drive of sects and enemies of the Nigeria posterity. The average Nigerian youth is determined to succeed and has the tenacity to navigate his survival. This is a rare wealth that has been left unexploited for positive impact in the country. Thus, politicians have used it to their advantage during the slumbering dark days of our hibernation and naivety. The dawn of a new era has endowed us with an orientation that, we own our destiny and we are a virile element of change. We are tired of watching the clips of our history, with so much of same old faces, exchanging baton among the cycle of cliques that have brought much malnourishment to our dear nation. Its high time we inject her (Nigeria) with the vaccine of youthfulness, so she can be active and passionate in her disposition.

The days when the youths are non-committal to matters of the states are over. If we must not lose out a generation of geniuses to ignorance then, we must tap from the youths to inspire the realization of vision 20:20:20. Please, I reserve respect to the discretion of our elder statesmen as well as incumbent leadership. Current statistics have it that amidst the prevalent complaint about the capability of the average Nigerian youth, it is the same youths that drive the ideologies of innovations, which forms the baselines of notable achievement of governments. So, I lay claim to the hardly believed truism that the youths are the genius of societies. You either believe it or quite believing in the truth.

When an old Professor discovers a new idea, he uses his youthful students to pursue it to reality. When a Politician needs to implement a spectacular policy to win the admiration of his followers, he solicit both ideas and implementation plan from the youths. When a General is asked to come up with a tactical defensive plan to overcome the enemies of the state, he collate the best of his young officers for planning and launching. When a Traditional Ruler is having doubt about the welfare of his community he calls for the counsel of his elders. The elders in turn, subscribe to the youths to implement the action plan of their deliberations. All these instances show, that the youths have always been the life-wire of transitions in the society.

It is on these premise that we are asking the government to open up the doors of power for the youths. The fear that the youths are easy to fall and would become power drunk is a fallacy arising from assumptive tendencies of power peddlers. We cannot continue to deny the youths their slots for so long. We are determined to become relevant to ourselves, to society ad to governance. Our government should see this in the positive light, our usefulness cannot be over emphasized especially in nursing the nascent democracy.

It is dare, we as a people owe the youths this one first request and we pray the government see the urgency of this in the recovery of our nation’s loots. It is expedient that we exude the courage to practically implement this in the best interest of consolidating democracy. The youths are unanimous in her demands and are fervent in charging the government to showing her moral justification.

Long Live the Nigerian Youths!