NIGERIAN YOUTHS TALK ABOUT THEIR LACK OF PARTICIPATION IN LEADERSHIP!

On Sunday, 6^th of November, 2016, members of SRAF, one of the largest online communities in Nigeria, with about 1000 active WhatsApp members gathered again to rub minds on youths’ lack of participation in leadership of the country, in a discourse tagged “YOUTHS AND LEADERSHIP” and below are responses from youths across the country.

I am Adesina Oluwaseyi, a student from Ibadan.

From my own point of view, youths are been denied of their rightful right in the leadership.

 And this has affect a lot of ambitious youths, who have the zeal to serve this country with a justified mind, but when the so-called leaders are not giving opportunity to the youths, the youths seem useless.

I think when it comes to leadership, it should be open to the youths, and more than it is to the older people. The youths are capable.

I am Gloria, a student of FEDPOLY, Oko.

In my own view, I think the youths are not given their place in the society, they not given the chance to express themselves, talk less of trying to know their worth. I think the youths, if given chance will make a different and be active.

My name is Alabi Joshua from Okene, kogi State, I am a Computer and Software Engineer.

It is common ill and perception that masks the face of realism; by giving a make believe that youths should be given a chance in this country to lead us.

Truth be told, Nigeria needs a vibrant leader, that does not mean we need youths in those key positions.

What I think is that, for every appointment made, a youth wing of it should also be created to facilitate the transformation we are yearning for.

My name is Mr. Jega, a student of FEDPOLY, Oko, Anambra State.

I think the youths are the architect of their problems. Why will the youth progress politically when we've all turned to sycophants, singings praises about these old men, just because we've been offered brown envelop? Why will the youth progress in politics, when we don't even know the history of our country? The only way the youths can attain greater height in politics is to come together and build a formidable force. Come to think of it, is there any strong group fighting for the interest of the youths in politics? No! Its high time we stopped being just followers and become smart thinkers. I rest my case.

I'm john Teri Vandi, a consultant.

The youth have in so many ways failed in their quest to redeem the misconceptions the society have about them.

Who is a youth? Anyone within the age bracket of 13 to 40 years. Though our society sees any married person below the age bracket as old person.

1. The youth have proven to the society that they are not ready to take responsibility; how can a strong young man be proud to be the CEO of 10 WhatsApp groups? he has accounts on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Imo etc, So he end up wasting 90 % of his time on these social networks without making economy sense to the society.

2. The youth are actually unstable in their decisions, so given them a higher a responsibility is like making Demiji Bankole the president of Nigeria.

3. For example, when I met the minister of agriculture in September 2016, He said, "Are you john? I was expecting to see an old man, but you are just a youth, “but I told him sir, you are living for the moment, I am for the future. That settles it. We always putting the cart before the horse in our dealing, that's why the society is very skeptical about given us much responsibilities.

I'm Edem, from the faculty of law, University of Uyo.

Mr. John Teri Vandi has in his contribution above defined who a youth is. Therefore, from that definition, it's agreeable that all of us here are youths.

Let’s be practical here, would you say that you have been denied of your position in the society?

The answer is No.

Each one of us here and also the rests of Nigerian youths are given the opportunity to attend any height they wish to in the society; this opportunity is subject to having possessed the relevant qualifications.

Therefore, youths that are hardworking, skillful with the right qualifications cannot be deprived of their position in the society.

For instance, if a youth aspires to go into politics, no one stops you from identifying him/herself with any political party of his/her choice and attending their conferences/meetings.

My name is Ohaju Obed Ifeanyi, a student from Anambra State, Nigeria.

The importance of youths in some leadership positions can never be overemphasized. A nation without youths is on a journey to extinction. Therefore, the youths should not be left out in any national planning, because the future of our country is in our hands.

Moreover, there should be a transformation of youths’ perception about life and the way they see it. Things should be taken seriously and youths in position need to consult elders before taking some drastic decisions.

My name is Salami Adebayo; I am a student of FUNAAB

I'm a believer of politics as the overall head of any nation and youth should have a say.

The old legs have done it and ought to leave the stage, but I feel majority of the youth aren't capable.

When we say the youth, we're talking about ourselves.

Can I then ask how many of us online tonight can govern a LG for 1 week?

 Not that we're not capable, but we're not equipped.

How many of the constitution do we know? Do we even know our rights and can state it to the book?

Do we even know our LG, House of Rep Member, Senators, Commissioners, and Ministers that represent us?

These old legs know all these and they believe they are better than us.

We might say they caused it, yes they did, but we have internet at our beck and call, but we use it only for fun and entertainment.

Have wondered why some youths debate with passion, the best between Olamide and Davido or Wizkid and when you mention politics, many hissed and say: “when I assume office I will chop my own.”?

This old folks have money, we have brain and majority of us have failed to use our brains.

I then ask, can an unequipped youth challenge these rich old folks?

Let's bring that to the table.

I am Raphy-J.

The question now is what can be done to bring our youths to the reality of being useful to the society?

I am Eyinju olodumare, I am a student of OOU. 

I think it’s high time this nation allowed the youth to test the beauty of leadership. "If we can carry guns as thugs, then we can also fight to developed this country", Nigeria needs fresh blood .I believe we can change this country for best.

There should stop giving us husks from their tables we are tired of their chaffs. "What is good for the horse is also good for the donkey". Our politicians were youths when they started leading, our forefathers gave them the platform when they where youth why are they now Jericho (wall) to us.

 The only thing we youths enjoyed from these people is NYSC SCHEME and some of them are still planning to cut it off. We need to open our eyes we, need to open our mouth and talk, shout, we need to take actions, protest. I don't want my unborn child to inherit these problems. We shouldn’t gratify these men, they don't care about us, and they only care about their pot bellies. Talking about their attitudes, which have escalated to stupidity, the youths need to start coming out in numbers to take what's rightfully theirs.

The youth of a country should have a significant impact on national growth. Tendencies toward free enterprise, equal rights and humanitarian issues are dictated by the current ruling population.

This group changes every few decades, as the youth of a nation grow up and replace the previous generation with new leadership.

The experiences of youth weigh heavily on how they act as adults. Things like economic well-being, the quality availability of education, access to opportunities for advancement, and the state of war or peace in a country all influence the values young people cultivate into adulthood.

Accepted standards often change, when new groups take charge of public offices and private enterprises.

It is important to encourage civic responsibility among the youths, so that they feel rooted in these roles.

Providing knowledge, regarding voting, volunteering and social accountability helps foster a positive future for a nation by ensuring that its upcoming leadership is outfitted with the values that support ongoing maintenance of an established culture.

My name is Rachael from Lagos.

In my own few, especially in our country, Nigeria, the youth are not given freedom of speech to talk on political affairs nowadays. When we see a youth talking, the older people shut them down, calming they don’t know anything or have reasonable submission to tackle them. But my question is how many times have they giving the youth to do their work and see whether they have time to work or not?

I am Oyenekan Damilola, Student of LAUTECH.

I believe we need to have our say, because as the general saying goes 'the youth are the leaders of tomorrow' when is it going to happen? Do we have to be the unseen/unknown leaders by theory, without experience?

I am Samuel Abigail, a student from Lagos.

When it comes to leadership, I think we all are to blame, but the problem is; who is ready to receive the blame without a share of the national cake?

I am not surprised the youths are been deprived of their rights either as leaders or to-be leaders, because the youth have never shown any promise of a good leader. They say things like: "If I get there I will take care of my pocket first" now tell me how should I base my trust on someone who lacks integrity, honesty and the wisdom of speech?

If the youths are ready to take what belongs to them, we must first change our mentality of looking for change without being ready to change.

We must change the way reason, we must stop seeing as ourselves as mousses to those leaders.

We must not allow ourselves to be intimidated by those who don't value our future

And most of all, we must not be like those whose pockets is their main objectives and leave the coming generations hopeless.

I am Mahmud Sufiyan, a poet from Lagos, Nigeria.

The Youths, I think should be given a chance to lead, by first being trained on what leadership is all about.

As a nation, I think the youth need to know more about politics.

Moderator:

Mahmud Sufiyan, Lagos

Correspondents:

Samuel Abigail, Lagos.

Ikpe Comfort, Ogun.

Gloria Ibekwe, Port Harcourt

Editors:

Soul’e Rhymez, Lagos

Rashmita, Saudi Arabia

Soul’e Rhymez

For: SRAF Administration

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