Like a recurring decimal, the quest for inclusion of youths in northern leadership affairs reared its head again, with some youths who converged on Kano Government House, Kano, at the weekend, to seek ways of bridging the gap, overthrow the ruling oligarchy and make a revolutionary change. BASHIR MOHAMMED reports
Recycling old breed
Anyone conversant with the present democratic dispensation in the country, can attest to the fact that the clamour for youths engagement in the scheme of things is increasing on a daily basis, especially, in the face of persistent recycling of the old breed to dominate the affairs of governance and leadership.
The issue of dominance and subtle manipulation by the political elite is becoming a jigsaw puzzle to youths, being the perceived engine of change knowing that in every part of the globe, the youths had effected a revolutionary change that miraculously swept the archaic order of the day.
Formidable stepping stone
However, the northern young leaders conference held at Kano Government House, was seen as a formidable stepping stone in the quest to accord a human face to the youths’ struggle for inclusion in all spheres of governance, as it assembled a cream of the most genius ones who out of their wisdom , courage and gravitas unveiled their respective strategic plan aimed at engendering an all -encompassing change.
According to them, Nigeria is presently under the tutelage of some ruling oligarchs who still believe that the time is not ideal for youths to take the gauntlet in forging ahead with the struggle to put the old guards on hold, knowing that it is high time to be accommodated in the business of leadership and governance.
Flawed system
Speakers after speakers, let the cat out of the bag by pin-pointing where the present system is flawed and proffered solutions to myriad of errors and blunders that had permeated the system to the point of making youths to lose confidence in what they believe, they should be part and parcel of its being.
Former Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister under the immediate past administration, Dr. Nuradeen Mohammed, had set the ball rolling by observing that Nigeria as an indispensable super power in Africa which human potential can be tapped, exploited and adequately harassed for the survival and posterity of the continent.
According to him, Nigeria being the most populous black nation on earth, is widely acknowledged to have wielded considerable leverage in determining the fate of sister African countries.
Altar of vested and parochial interest
He however lamented that the institutions of credible leadership and good governance had been utterly sacrificed on the altar of vested and parochial interest adding that in the present democratic setting, the younger ones had proven their efficacy and worth of being spectacularly relevant in the nation’s scheme of things.
He pointed out that with the old guards perpetually in leadership, there would be no room for the younger generation to actively participate in the business of leadership and governance affirming that there was the compelling need for a clear paradigm shift in the way the old cabal maintain a permanent hegemony on the nation’s political landscape.
He said it was a matter of responsibility for the nation’s ruling elites to strive to clean the Augean Stable, for the issue of credible and selfless leadership to hold sway, positing that the protection of national interest would never be feasible and realistic with the relevant institutions of governance becoming enfeebled and moribund.
The former Minister maintained that in his capacity as Foreign Affairs Minister, he trotted the globe and rubbed shoulders with influential leaders who had carved a niche in the parlance of leadership stressing that with the assessment he made, he had reached the conclusion that the position of Nigeria in the comity of nations was absolutely great.
Burning ambition
He stressed that the burning ambition of creating a formidable super power in Africa, would never be realistic in as much as the influence of Nigeria as the most populous black nation on earth, was not taken into cognizance, adding that such a craze for the creation of a prominent nation to lead Africa in the 21st Century would remain a mirage.
Speaking in the same vein, a university lecturer, Dr. Ahamed Adamu, said he had voluntarily resigned his appointment as lecturer to enter partisan politics, knowing that he has a role to play in projecting an enviable image of the country , courtesy of his youthful exuberance , calling on youths to join the bandwagon of change at the present critical stage.
He said the issue of credibility in leadership did not require one to seek an exalted position by hook or crook, rather, it was advisable for one to wait for peoples’ clarion call to join the fray pointing out that power obsession made one to perform dismally in the absence of possessing the real qualification for leadership.
He however stressed that it is a common trend for power seekers in developing countries like Nigeria to use it as a springboard to amass an ill-gotten wealth stressing however that those who rode to power on the premise of credibility, acceptability and worthiness were expected to lead by example in challenging situations.
Hajiya Munirat Aminu, founder of a Non-governmental Organization (NGO) for the emancipation of the girl-child from the bondage of repression, injustice and tyranny, dishing out charity packages for the young girls not opportune to go to schools to acquire the western education, voice could not be missing in the crowd.
Fore front of the struggle
Blueprint recalls that her NGO, is at the fore front of the struggle for freeing the abducted Chibok School girls from the yoke of the Boko Haram, who disappeared with them since April 2014.
She pointed out nothing is impossible for the youths in attaining the height of fame, honour and greatness in as much they were given the chance to prove their worth adding that Nigerian youths are treasure-trove which could be harnessed and adequately exploited in achieving the goals of development and progress.
She called on youths to strive to live up to their billing, by proving to the old guards that they have the potential to lead Nigeria to greater height, stressing that employing rhetorics to realize such a goal, would only expose the naivety of a generation left groping in the dark.
However, the aggregate opinion and prognosis of pundits, is the fact that starting the struggle by organizing the conference, is imperative if they are to be taken seriously, affirming that effecting such a revolutionary change would not be realised on a platter of gold.
For the ruling oligarchy, the youths concurred, it was high time they realised the fact that their time is up.
