1960s Generation Takes It All -By Sulaiman Maijama’a

How can someone like my humble self who was born in the late 1990s, who grew to know the saying, “children/youth are the leaders of tomorrow”, not end up becoming pessimistic about the prospect of us getting to the helm of leadership positions in Nigeria?  The 1960s generation and those born before that time have, over the years, developed sit-tight syndrome. But “even the best artist, as the saying goes, “has to leave stage for others to get where to dance.”

The generation of 1960s and before, especially the lucky ones who have had quality education have enjoyed. They are the real beneficiaries of the Nigeria’s treasury. They were lobbied to go to school with all the financial burden taken care of by the government. They have had the luxury of being provided with food, meat, milk and fish in school, which our generation did not  have. During weekends they packed their clothes for laundry. During holidays, their transportation fare back home allowance were taken care of by the government. 

More luxurious is the fact that upon graduation from grade seven, college or university, they would surely have a place to work in government, with their salaries being paid as at when due and in surplus, a car given to them as a loan, and a house ready for them to settle and start a family. They never missed their milestones in life. This general must glorify the Almighty for the enjoyment of life the like of which has eluded the generation that came after them.

Not only that, in terms of leadership positions, since the return of Nigeria to Democracy in 1999, the 1960s generation were — and still are — the ones at the mantle of leadership at different levels. Of the 36 sitting governors in Nigeria, 24 were all born in the 1960s. They are:

1. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu of Abia state –1964.

2. Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa state –1967.

3. Udom Gabriel of Akwa Ibom state — 1966.

4. Charles Solido of Anambra State — 1960.

5. Samuel Orton of Benue state  — 1961.

6. Umar   Zulum of Borno state — 1969.

7. Benedic Ayade of Cross Rivers state — 1968.

8. David Umahi of Ebonyi state  — 1964.

9. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti state — 1965.

10. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu state — 1964.

11.Moh’d Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe state – 1961.

12. Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa state — 1962.

13. Nasir El-Rufa’i of Kaduna state — 1960.

14. Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi state — 1961.

15. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State –1960.

16. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos state — 1965.

17. Abubakar Bello Sani of Niger state — 1967.

18. Dapo Obiodum of Ogun state  — 1960.

19. Seyi  Makinde of Oyo state  — 1967.

20. Simon Lalong of Plateau — 1963.

21. Nyesom Wike of Rivers state — 1967.

22. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto state –1966.

23. Mai Mala Buni of Yobe state  –. 1967.

24. Bello Matawalle of Zamfara state — 1962.

Ten (10) of the 36 were born in 1950s.

1. Bala Moh’d of my dear Bauchi state — 1958.

2. Douye Dori of Bayelsa state  —  1959.

3. Ifeanyi Kowa of Delta State  —  1959.

4. Godwin Obaseki of Edo State — 1957.

5. Hope Uzodinma of Imo state  — 1958.

6. Aminu Masari of Katsina state — 1950.

7. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa state — 1959.

8. Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo state  — 1956.

9. Gboyega Oyetola of Osun state — 1954.

10. Sirius Ishaku of Taraba state — 1954.

Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano state is the oldest governor having been born in 1949. Unfortunately, however, in the whole Nigeria, Yahaya Bello of Kogi state is the single sitting governor born after the after 1960s — 1975 to be specific.

As if it were scientifically planned, while majority of the state governors were born in 1960s, majority of the Federal Ministers are those born in 1950s, followed by the 1960s and then 1940s. It is unfortunate and disappointing that, of all the 44 Federal Ministers only six (6) of them were born after 1960s.

If you aggregation the number Senators and House of reps you still will have a preponderance of the generation of 1960s. Go to state assemblies and check, the narrative is the same. Take a look at government agencies; majority of the directors-general (former and current) belong to this generation and they are not ready to quit neither are they ready to involve the youth in the real job of leadership. I say the real job because whenever the young age agitate for youth inclusion, rather than give us executive positions so that our inputs will part of decision-making, they give us Special Assistant job, and we end up having no say in any decision-making process. This topic, I think, should be a dissertation for another.

I’m not unaware of the fact that old age are needed in leadership affairs, because they are more experienced, more exposed and composed. But young age are equally needed, because they are harder workers; when the youthful exuberance in them brought to beer and combined with seasoned experience of old age, the combination hits the ground running. Why not the old age be behind the scene, directing actors in the arena of political leadership of this country? 

I repeat, “even the best artist has to leave stage for others to get where to dance.”

Maijama’a is a student at the Faculty of Communication, Bayero University, Kano.

sulaimanmaija@gmail.com