Youth involvement in governance will end crises –Youth leader

In our nascent democracy, some youths saddled with responsibilities failed. Could these be reasons youths are not given opportunities? It’s all false! Ideologically, youths ought to be below 40 years, but in the Nigerian context, the bar has been raised and pegged at 50 years. Enquiries and  investigations  reveal that those who may have failed […]

In our nascent democracy, some youths saddled with responsibilities failed. Could these be reasons youths are not given opportunities?

It’s all false! Ideologically, youths ought to be below 40 years, but in the Nigerian context, the bar has been raised and pegged at 50 years. Enquiries and  investigations  reveal that those who may have failed are not the ideal youth that fall within this  age bracket of  youths. They only look young but  are not youths.

If  the  perceived old  brigade keep recycling themselves in power, what  should  the  youths  do to  have access  to political power?

We  are the  ones facing  the gruesome  harsh realities, it’s  obvious that  we the  youths   have  the  solutions to endemic phenomenal problems of Nigeria. Recent ministerial appointments are a slap against the entire Nigerian youths. Only a minute  few are  youths. The  rest ministerial nominees  are made  up  of  people  who in their days   got  free  education, employments were readily waiting  for them  after  school;   so  how can these  crop of  people  know  where  the  shoe  pinches?  Again, it’s not  proper  to  bring someone  from USA  to  come  and   fight  poverty in Nigeria   because the definition  of  poverty in America  is not  same  with Nigeria. So, it can only  take  someone  like  me or  people  within  the  youth  age  bracket  of  40 years, who  know poverty and   still have  years  to live  and on that premise can  strive  for  a  better  Nigeria. It  is  ironical,  that  in  our  universities, students  are  not  represented in the governing council, so who, will tell the Council   that students  hostels  are congested, that there is no water, light  and other amenities? For the youths to take over power, some of us, the youth vanguards, are deeply involved in youth advocacy, like what I am doing now. However,  government should  know  that  it is  dangerous to  continually relegate the youths because   when pushed  to the extreme  wall, they will ask for their  rights. They should also understand the idiosyncrasy of the youths which is often through violent agitation.

If  by the next political  dispensation , youths  are  given opportunities  to  serve  in government   and  you  are  elected  or  appointed , what  will be  your leadership philosophy?

As   a leader, it is expected for us to make daunting sacrifices for the betterment of our people. A good leader needs no litany of mobile armed police to guard him or building high-fence to conceal him from his people. It is madness of the first order for politicians to be buying   bullet proof cars worth N40 million, when such money can be used to transform lives of the rural dwellers. So,  if  opportunity  comes to me,  I will  continue  in my  philanthropic works to better the lot of humanity. I must be closer to my local people and  use available resources to ignite  development that will enhance  their  well–being, especially  the  local and real  farmers.  I’ve   always  been  so  concerned about  the  plight  of  the peasant  farmers.  So it  wouldn’t  be  out  of  place to provide  them  with modern farm equipment, give  them access to none  interest  loans .

We are so blessed in Nigeria that agriculture alone can sustain this country even without oil. In China,  farmers  have  the  same  infrastructural facilities  as what  is  obtainable in  Beijing, the  capital. So right in their local farms, farmers are comfortable. There is no need for them to rush to town. I will prefer to develop the rural areas so that people can be productive even in their villages.