PROBING THE YOUTHS PASSION FOR CHANGE
I was at the symposium organized for young and
emerging leaders by The Future Project in March 2012. The event was tagged: “The Challenge
of Responsible Governance: How Can This Generation Do Better?” –
Headline speech delivered by Mrs. Obi Ezekwesili. Also in attendance were
Governor Kayode Feyemi, Governor Rotimi Amechi, Prof. Pat. Utomi, Mr. Dele
Momodu among others.
While addressing the audience, Governor Rotitmi
Amechi said “you think you are the goods ones and we the elders are the bad
ones; some of you feel the old people in public offices should be removed and
substituted with the youths. You think you can do it better. The problem of the
nation is in the economic system and until that is fixed, we will be waiting
for you to come and join us in the evil world”.
After an encounter with a recent book titled
WHY NATIONS FAIL, I am more of the opinion that the major problem we are
confronted with in the system of Nigeria is the political system/ institution.
It is the political institution that has power to influence the economic system
of a nation and not otherwise.
The truth is that we youths are angry. This may
be connected to the fact that we are the victims of the ills of the nation:
social disorder, poor standard of education, poverty, corruption, greed, poor
health system, high rate of unemployment, decay in public infrastructure and
dark future in view of the status quo. It is more annoying when we reconcile
these to the fact that we are over 55% of the population of the nation with an
estimate of 167 million people.
In view of the above and our fury at it, we
desire change. Therefore, some of us are creating platforms or joining platforms
to speak and stand against the system and the disciples. Some are engaging in
activities to promote and influence a reversal of what we are victims of. A
good number of us are displaying admirable passion for change even in our current
individual units and positions. We have been referred to as the turning point
generation. In fact, there is almost no need to ask if we are the messiah or
another should be expected.
However, we must inquire what our passion is
actually on. Some of us who have displayed passion and a high level of
competence or people who have identified with us have been invited into public
leadership but have fallen by the way side. When some are being entertained
with money, they run out of passion for change. For some, the taste of power is
it; it burns out all the passion. Because they are now involved in government,
pride derived from money or power sets them apart from the passion and they
become avoidably absent from fellow comrades in the struggle for change. So the
story changes.
It may be necessary to cite examples. Though I
was taught in law that hearsay evidence (somebody told me) is not admissible in
court. I am not also oblivious of the fact that it is not in all cases that
judges completely shut their ears to such. It may help in arriving at justice
in some cases albeit it may not be formally relied on.
During the Occupy Nigeria for protest against
the removal of fuel subsidy, it was posted on facebook by some of us that while
one of the current public officers was in tertiary institution and was in
Student Union Government, there was a proposal for the removal of fuel subsidy
which he vehemently opposed declaring it as an evil against the people of
Nigeria. But in 2012 being in public office, he said the removal of fuel
subsidy is long overdue. One is compelled to ask that what went wrong. Or better
still, when he was in school, was he just angry that he was not the one in
public leadership to have a share in the “national cake”.
Another is campaign manager to one of the
candidates of the 2011 elections who is also a youth. After the elections where
his principal lost, he was invited into another political party. Earlier in the
year, probably after being entertained, he was also said to have stated that
there is no political party like the one he is now.
Having a flashback, people like Chief Obafemi
Awolowo, Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe, Alh. Tafawa Balewa, Chief Odumegwu Ojukwu, Rtd. Gen.
Yakubu Gowon, Alh. Sheu Sagari to mention a few could not have lost focus
because of money or power. They could not have been distracted by logistical
needs, ignoring the ultimate. People with genuine passion for change appreciate
the place of money and power but more importantly, they understand the purpose
of money and power.
To be hypnotized by money or power will be
living the words of Margaret Thatcher- These days, we are governed by people
who care more about feelings than thoughts and ideas. We currently have people
in public leadership who are more consumed with the euphoria of office and not
the essence of the office they occupy. For some of them they might have had
good intention and genuine passion, but the force of money and power coupled
with some constituted principalities, they were lost in the crowd.
One can keep mentioning the inexhaustible factors
that may threaten our passion for social change, but beyond our passion, we owe
it a duty to our individual and collective cause to guard our passion with all
our strength such that money or power will only serve as instruments for us to
influence and achieve positive change in our nation.
What really is the change that we desire in our
nation? A nation of peace; a nation of religious tolerance, a nation with
ethnic groups mutual respect and understanding; a nation with food security; a
nation of commerce and industry; a nation of adequate health facilities for all;
a nation with empowered women; a nation of better life for everyone; a nation
with a secured future for the younger generation; a nation where rule of law
prevails; a nation of justice for all; a nation of equality and fairness; a
nation where politics is played with strict compliance with national interest…
To achieve these, we must keep our faith alive,
our passion strong and our integrity unfainting! We must live up to our dreams
and the tag on us as the turning point generation. The destiny of this nation
lies in our hands. The hope of a better Nigeria hangs around us. We have the opportunity
to re-write the history of our nation and we must work hard to re-write it.
Olusola
Akinyemi Esq.
The
President
The
Joseph Initiative, Lagos.
