Just recently, Comrade Aluh Moses Odeh, a national leader of All Middle Belt Youth Forum led a team to Port Harcourt on a working visit. In this interview with GODWIN EGBA, he takes a swipe at die-hard/sit-tight old breed political leaders, saying it’s high time they are forced into retirement so that new breed of political class can take the stage.
As an advocate of new breed political leadership, what is your expectation in the 2023 political journey?
I want to thank you very much for this question. It is incumbent on Nigerians to now rise above ethnic and sectional divides in order to enthrone new breed of political leadership as a fresh beginning for the 2023 democratic journey. I am passionate to see the ‘change’ mantra of President Muhammadu Buhari reflect on the political structure of Nigeria where new breed leadership would occupy a larger space from now on.
From which level are you looking at?
It is all encompassing especially from the federal up to the grassroots. By that I mean to say that it should be from the presidency to the state and local government area councils so that there shall be leadership and economic reset that would inspire economic nationalism and deepen democracy.
What significant difference do you think it would make if a new breed leadership is enthroned beyond the old breeds that have monopolised that political space over the decades?
This is quite obvious because to say that Nigeria, after 60 years of independence, has not achieved any significant success in the power and other sectors is to say that men of ideas and accountability and governance are lacking among the current crop of leaders.
Sixty years down the history, but the country is not stagnated at any point. Do you disagree with that?
I am not talking of stagnation here, but a man of 60 years who is shot of productivity has a systemic problem. For Nigeria not to have achieved power breakthrough after 60 years of self rule is not palatable on weighing scale. This is the main reason the country’s productivity in the economy has been appalling and sadly, we are an import- dependant economy.
How would you access the security and other special challenges in the hands of our present leadership that the new breeds can effect changes?
This is an area the new breeds I am advocating for would excite Nigerians and the international community at large without fear or favour. I make bold to say that the old breeds are failing dismally in securing the lives and property of the citizens. What we have in the media daily is killing in Benue, Niger and Bornu states among others by either herdsmen or unidentified gunmen.
What magic wand do you expect from your advocated new breed leadership?
Get me clear! Nigeria is not a failed state in the hands of the old breed political leaders, but let’s boot them away for new breeds with fresh ideas and spirit. Though some measure of success can be attributed to the old breeds, but success is a journey, not a destination; so, let the new breeds be given all the necessary support to pilot the ship of the country and you would see that they would anchor it in no shot time on a sound socio-economic and infrastructural tower.
Do you think experience fades out with age, because some schools of thought believe that age is of the mind. What is your take?
Old age has a lot of negative influence on experience. In aging process, experience looses some vital memory ingredients, especially in the context of productivity. The mental and physical capacity of 70-80-year old man can never match that of a man in his youthful adult age of 30-50-years in leadership position. Nigerian new breed leaders in the age bracket of 30-50-years have all it takes to prove that they are veritable agents of change in building a more equitable and sustainable nation.
How do you think the new breed class can compete favourably with the old breeds in political context where the highest bidder takes all? (money politics)
The 21st century Nigeria youths are incubators of the new breeds to control the current socio-economic development system beyond oil. They have the sterling qualities to balance political equation, but reshape the economy to an enviable height considering their professional service delivery in the engineering, banking, health and education sectors, a teeming number of them are in both the private and public sectors home and abroad.
The old breeds in politics see the new breeds as neophytes without financial muscles to compete with them. Would you advocate for a legislation that would checkmate serving period of those seeking elective offices from the presidency down to the local government council?
The system of democracy runs counter to the civil service system. The civil service has such legislative control. What we are saying is that old and new wine don’t match in productivity and accountability. The old breeds are fraught with old ideas. Let them be honourable enough to retire as political fathers and king makers to the new breeds. Let them consign themselves to the back stage sharing their wealths of experiences with the new breeds within and outside their domains. Mind you, they are still part of the national development socially and economically.
