The incoming national chairman of the (PDP), Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, has advised Nigerian youth to channel their energies into creative pursuits adding that the future belongs to youth who prepare themselves.
He spoke at weekend in Abuja when a delegation of Benue Youth, under the auspices of Benue Transition Mentees (BTM), paid him a courtesy/goodwill call at his Maitama residence.
BTM is a group of passionate and energetic Benue youth who are making their marks in various callings of life, and who were members of the Benue State Transition Committee, 2019, which the he chaired.
The PDP national chairman elect said: “We often hear that youth are the leaders of tomorrow, but that is not automatic. The future really belongs to youth who follow their passions, who prepare themselves and who go after what they want.
“There are youth who are doing drugs, who are into all sorts of vices like kidnapping, prostitution and what they call Yahoo-yahoo. Some make up the battalions in the banditry ravaging the country. The future does not belong to these.
“Prepare yourselves, follow your passions and channel your energies into creative pursuits. Organise yourselves, mobilise your large constituency and go for what you want, including public office. There is no Father Christmas in politics.
“Sometimes, young people forget that many of us started out on this route as young men too. I became a graduate at 23, got my PhD at 31, was a senior lecturer at 37 and was elected to the Senate at 39 where my colleagues made me Senate President at 40. I can say that for others too.
“And in many of these outings, we successfully competed against older, more experienced people. So, when youth say, ‘Give us a chance,’ I tell them: ‘Chance is not always a gift. Power is never gifted on a platter or in a parcel.’ So, mobilise and take your chance as we march to 2023.”
