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| Their is an urgent need for Nigerian Youths to have a unified interaction on the way forward for this great country |
By Evelyn Okakwu
The place of the youth in the struggle to attain true democracy can be
likened to the function of water and sunlight in the growth of plants.
Just in the same way as plants require photosynthesis as a major
source of growth so does the growth of any democracy thrive only in
the presence of a healthy participation of youths in the given
society.
All over the world the place of the youth in National development is
accorded with utmost priority.
In Nigeria, the vice president of the country Namadi Sambo, during a
recent address to youths at an event organised by the Alumni
association of the Ahmadu Bello University reiterated the call for
youth involvement in the fight against corruption in the country.
Sambo while speaking at the Ahmadu Bello University’s maiden home
coming celebration of past students said “I remember even before our
time how students from the University of Ibadan came out to the
Nigerian parliament to oppose the defence pact, which was meant to
retain some control by the British on Nigeria and the pact was
aborted. I remember how Nigerian students were vanguards in the fight
against apartheid and liberation of some African countries. There were
times when, which ever policy the government was considering, the
first consideration would be whether people would accept it. And that
time when they said people, the first consideration was students who
would react on behalf of the people”.
He noted that the vanguard of students was active even during military
rule in the protest against bad governance and bad policies. He stated
that the dynamism has remained. But is that really the case? Can the
youth in the present Nigeria be vouched for, in the united struggle
against corruption?
The history of this country presents a notable involvement of youths
in the fight to move the country forward.
Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the first Premier of Northern Nigeria, became
prominently significant in the leadership of Northern Nigerian
Politics in his 30s. He was appointed the First Premier of Northern
Nigeria at the age of 42, in the year 1954. At such young age he had
become a viable leader of the Northern Peoples Congress; the Political
party through which he and his likes clamoured to have a good place
for the North in post independent Nigeria. He was also an
international statesman, widely respected across the African continent
as one of the leaders who encouraged the formation of the Organisation
of African Unity (OAU).
.
Chief Obafemi Awolowo, is also another Nigerian who made a good mark
in the country’s leadership through his contributions at the time of
his youth. Awolowo, had also in his 30s, contributed immensely towards
the growth of the Nigerian Youth movement which he was the secretary.
He was also reportedly responsible for most of the progressive social
legislation that has made Nigeria a modern nation. At 41, Awolowo
became the first Premier of the then Western region, under the
parliamentary system. He was the official Leader of the Opposition in
the federal parliament to the Balewa government from 1959 to 1963
Also in the same vein; Nnamdi Azikiwe, at the age of 30, made history
in Nigeria’s politics by emerging from the united States with a
master’s degree in political science and partaking fully in the
Country’s leadership, through active writing in the African Pilot
which was a paper piloted by himself.
Similarly, Senator Joseph Sarwuan Tarka, is another Nigerian from
Benue State, who made a great mark in the country’s historical
development during his youth. At the age of thirty five, the young
Nigerian had left such indelible marks in the United Middle Belt
Congress; a political party founded by himself, so that he was made
the Minister for Transport and Communications under General Yakubu
Gowon.
The contributions of Sir Ahmadu Bello who is not left out among the
list of notable Nigerians fighting for the good of the country cannot
go unnoticed.
These people in their youth, came together to bring about what is
today regarded as Nigeria.
They struggled unanimous to ensure that at independence, Nigeria
became one indivisible country. Not; an independent Northern, Southern
or Western Region; but an independent Nigeria.
Also, as was noted by the vice President, It was Nigerian Students and
youths who fought against the imposition of the Structural Adjustment
Program (SAP) by the military under the leadership of retired General
Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida ; it was also the youths who constituted
the foot soldiers and provided a significant proportion of the
leadership of the Anti -military and pro-democracy movement. The first
human, environmental, as well as women’s rights coalition in the
country, along with the pro-democracy organisations and coalitions in
Nigeria were all led by Nigerians in their forties; these youths
participated actively at leadership capacities in the various groups.
But, as earlier stated, can the youth in present day Nigeria be
compared with these people? These Nigerians gave various opinions on
the pattern of involvement by the youths in the country today. Hanna
Joseph says that the youths of the country today are divided along the
same line with their fathers. “I do not think the present Nigerian
youth will be as enthusiastic to fight for the development of certain
segments of the society as they would fight for their own. Though some
may want to fight for the common good of the Nation; and indeed, it
depends on the issue at stake, if it were to be something similar to
the Struggle by Nigerians to stop the government from implementing an
un-agreeable increase in the price of fuel. Some Nigerians may unite
over such a struggle. But where the problem in question is concerning
a given region, then the people will have no interest, if it does not
concern them. Some Nigerians; even youths, are in the habit of
opposing a good policy if it does not have much to do with their area.
Though they may not come open, but by their action or their
in-actions, they would have proven that they are not in support of the
government’s decision to do something that seems positively
influencing on a given segment of the society”.
Aisha Amos speaks further on the level of youth involvement in
government. “The youth in present day Nigeria is not exactly
interested in the growth of the country, but in the development of his
pocket. That is what we have learnt from our leaders. Unfortunately
most of them are now in their grey days and will soon leave us alone
to battle with the effects of a nightmare that is gradually raging as
a result of our collective actions. As you may know, the Boko Haram
may be sponsored by older Nigerians but their tools for damage are
mostly youths. The activities of the terrorist group have done much
more harm than good to the already shattered Unity of Nigerians.
More so, the man from the south for example will try as much as he can
to defend the actions of the present leadership, while his counterpart
from the North may not support terrorism as it is witnessed in Nigeria
today, but will give reasons why the actions are perpetrated and
possibly proffer less stiff measures for dealing with the group. These
are all natural tendencies of brotherly affection. But what makes the
matter worse is the case where some youths exhibit open and relentless
disdain for fellow youths on the bases of religious and tribal
differences”.
Samson Adigwe says the problem is not primarily caused by youths. “The
attitude of youths towards corrupt public officers is not something
that should mostly be blamed on the youths. Yes I know that the youths
can do a lot to prevent corruption. But how can they do that when the
society has made them believe that corruption is a part of
development. A typical Nigerian parent will teach their child to do
what most people describe, using the popular cliché in Pidgin English:
“Shine your eye”. Now that child; in a bid to shine his eye, learns
that bribery is not a crime, depending on the reason behind it; that
you should not always tell the truth so that you don’t make a fool of
yourself; that you should in fact treat others according to the given
circumstance and not by the prevailing ethical standard expected. I
could go on and on, but the fact of the matter is that the average
Nigerian youth does not believe in the supremacy of Nigeria, but in
the might of his personal dreams. This is the result of an upbringing
that can only be corrected by a general transformation of minds”.
In addition, the average Nigerian Youth is shattered frustrated and
confused; so that the only hope he has may as well be that provided
for him by the few selfish and equally disgruntled wealthy Nigerian
looking for tools to accomplish their selfish aims.
Aptly noted, Nigeria is seating on a gun powder ready for
explosion, if the reality of frustration and hopelessness among the
vast of Nigerian youths are anything to go by.
Yet still the need for a positively active involvement of youths in
the activities of government can never be over emphasised. Nigeria may
indeed continue to move round and round in its quest for positive
development, until the youths wake up to their numerous
responsibilities in Nation Building
In a nutshell, as indicated by Jaye Gaskiya; “Nigerian Youths of the
present generation have a date with history.” And at this point when
most of our leaders constitute those who, in his words are; “Ageing,
greedy, gluttonous, light fingered, treasury looting, inept and
incompetent as such continue to push our country increasingly towards
the edge of the precipice;” there could be no time more appropriate
when the country needs; the selfless, patriotic, committed and
revolutionary service of the youths.
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