Working towards community renaissance in Nasarawa
It is in the light of this that I write of the efforts by the youths of Nasarawa State to come together under one umbrella to ensure the success of their respective communities. It might not be a novel idea but the very fact of coming together as an entity forging foward with a common […]
It is in the light of this that I write of the efforts by the youths of Nasarawa State to come together under one umbrella to ensure the success of their respective communities. It might not be a novel idea but the very fact of coming together as an entity forging foward with a common goal and determination is no easy achievement. The fulcrum for this initiative is VADA which was established in 2008 and has as its chairman board of trustees Mr Mike Omeri who is the Special Adviser Political and Governmental Affairs to the President of the Senate and has as its Director General Hon. Isa Muhammad Danlafia (Small Alhaji).
In any society, youths have always been the pillar of growth but to actualise that potential the youths have to utilise the wisdom which is one of the veritable resource of their respective communities. This implies a kind of symbiotic relationship between the youths and their more elderly peers. It is often defined as mentorship. This is one practice which the youths propelling the new initiative in Nasarawa State are entrenching with a view of impacting positively on their communities. This initiative has as its goals giving recognition to those who deserve it in the community so they serve as a role model for other aspiring youths.
What the youths in Nasarawa State are doing is basically an attempt to create a rapport with the best and brightest in their state so as to bring them together to work in concert with each other for the overall development of the state. The youths under VADA have indicated their commitment and desire for good governance and the entrenchment of the rule of law in their state. This has basically meant giving accolades to the present government of Aliyu Akwe Doma in the state for his commendable record in bringing governance that is sympathetic to the plight of the people of the state and for introducing a new regime of law and order that would bring about sanity in the way the affairs of state is carried out.
The contributions youths have to make to their societies does not have to be confined to the intellectual and political realm alone, even though these are some of the traits of the youths in Nasarawa. What I have noticed is VADA is creating a strong impetus towards community participation by comming up with programmes like environmental sanitation and traffic control to protect the general health and safety of their communities. It is a pointer to the fact that we cannot always sit back and allow the government to do it alone or sit back non-challantly refusing to show interest in the political and social development of our communities. VADA is proving to be a role model that will influence the thinking and actions of the various youths spread across the length and breathe of our country who are desirous of bringing about change but lack the methods of bringing their desires to fruition.
In a rare ceremony drawing all the progressive elements in Nasarawa, VADA was able to once again articulate its philosophy publicly and subject itself to the review of members of the community where it operates. Governor Doma made his feelings known to the youth when he said he was proud to be associated with their initiatives for their communities. Ever the self deprecating politician, he was however non-committal about calls for him to seek re-election to continue to serve the people. It was a rare moment of revelation that tries to pass on the message that public service is a calling and it is usually answered in response to the call of the people. One thing the VADA youths made clear is the fact that it would be a disservice for those who get called to reject to serve the people, most especially if they have a lot to offer to their communities.
If Nigeria is to become the country we will all desire and be proud of we must begin to particiapte at our respectice communities to the debates and initiatives that have a direct bearing on our lives. The era of being arm chair critics of government is no longer fashionable and we must begin to see ourselves as being part of the government whether we hold public office or not. Most importantly, the Nigerian youths need to sit down and re-evaluate their participation in their governments and begin to ask themselves whether the actions they adopt are either positive or negative. This is the time for all of us to act and work together towards making our nation a success.
Odapu writes from the National Assembly, Abuja