Politics in Nigeria is experiencing one sided policy making without including the youths. Nigeria is a country blessed with lots of natural resources but the nation doesn’t know how to utilize it. One of the major problems in Nigeria is lack of good governance. In Nigeria, a majority of the leaders don’t have the love for the nation but rather only love for the nation’s treasury. It has been said that youths are the leaders of tomorrow, is not true, because they’ve not been given then chance to prove themselves in the country and the continent. In Nigeria, for instance, the youths are turned to political thugs, their lives are misused and brainwashed. They are never given any saddle chance of leadership in the country.
Nigeria’s former President Olusegun Obasanjo said, “It will take a vibrant and creative youth to institute good governance in Africa”. He said the youths could only replace older generation in leadership position by squeezing them out ofoffice”. It’s true because the leaders in this country today have the mentality that the youths are not yet ready or are not responsible to take charge of any leadership position in the country. When will it be the time of youths?Most politicians in the country and Africa are failing to recognise the basic concern of the nation because of their old age and they can no longer handle pressures. Most of them today in the country are above ages 60-80 years. RT. Hon. Khalid Ahmed Kumo wrote in his article titled ” Panadol to Youths Trauma in Nigeria Politics,” noted that Nigeria as a country should create enabling and youths friendly environment that will pave the way for an effective and meaningful youth political participation. Likewise, facilitating youths inclusion in the national and local electoral and consultation processes is another means for upgrading the level of political participation of youths.
He also asserted that, the main problem is the youth cannot to afford to contest in the political parties where not of them has less than 500k as the cost of nomination form and expression of interest for common state assembly aspirations.
It is clear and disheartening that many of the youths today face many unheard problems, and it’s time for them, the youths, to come together to form a movement that will always serve as a catalyst in showing their interest to participate fully in the political roles in the country.
Today’s youth only take part in media politics. Many of the supporters are without a membership card of that political party they are supporting, so how will one enjoin the welfare of that party without a membership card. The National Assembly can also interfere in this issue to regulate the prices of all the political parties in the country for the youths to take part in politics. It is high time for the youths to come to the rescue of this nation. It’s time to bugle up and push away the old age out of the office. Let’s rise up youths; the time is now.
Jibril Mohammed Naabil,Damaturu, Yobe
