NIGERIA IN MY THOUGHTS
I start this piece with a question so simple yet capable of
many interpretations; what is CHANGE? To me it is the discovering of NEW
ways of doing things and adopting same, outside the OLD method. This is because
you CAN’T keep doing a particular thing in the same old way and expect a
different result.
Hence, leadership is about CHANGE but if we do not need
change, then we need no leaders. By change in leadership here, am referring to
both structure and personnel although there can still be structural change
without a change of personnel vice-a-vise, but in a situation whereby it is the
same set of persons that have over the years continue to struggle to bring
about the much needed change, then we can achieve but a little as in the case
of Nigeria. Therefore we need both personnel and structural change.
Political parties sing and dance about this much anticipated
change but permit me to state it categorically that they have disappointed my
expectations, am not saying this because I’m partisan but I advocate for good
leadership and it can only be provided by selfless, sacrificial and vibrant
leaders because this is what the Nigeria
project requires. Please permit me to say this, I actually expected APC to field the likes of;
Rochas Okorocha, Babatunde Fashola, Rotimi Chibuike Sunday Amaechi, Tambuwal
etc. Show me one institution whose leader is over seventy (70)years of age and
I’ll tell you such institution is dead on arrival. Ordinarily isn’t 35years of
service or 65years of age whichever comes first the official retirement age in
Nigeria? For one to be 70years old and still be in service then one must be a
lecturer and a professor in that matter.
Who says we cannot stipulate retirement age for politicians
in Nigeria? Since they all would rather die in office than retire voluntarily.
Please can somebody tell me who is going to live by the policies put in place
by a 70years old and above, governor or president? Is it him or his children of
50years and below? No wonder some of the delegates to the national conference
who also voted for most of its resolution had died before the conference was
over and some could still pass on within the next 10years now tell me who
exactly is going to live by the resolutions of the conference?
It is time the Nigerian child and youths take their rightful
place in leadership and make laws that would govern them, and stop living by laws
made by their forefathers whom majority are long dead. It beats my imagination
when I see the Nigerian youth clapping under the sun and dancing in the rain
for politicians especially for those who have long passed their prime without
him or her aspiring to take over mantle of leadership little wonder Gen.
Ibrahim Badamasi Babagida rtd made bold
to say that Nigerian youths are not ready to take over leadership yet.
Now let me ask the Nigerian youth some questions; the politicians
you are jeering for, did any of them perform any miracle outside delivering on
few i.e if any, of the duties of his or her office as stipulated in the
constitution? Or did he sacrifice his personal salaries to feed the poor on our
streets and provide shelter for the homeless? Or did any of them take out of
his salary to pay the fees of our numerous school drop outs? They have only given us just a little if at
all out of our very own yet we raise our voices to praise and brag about them
even to the point of mortgaging our future and precious life for them while
they build for themselves and family; hotels, hospitals, companies, private
universities and other Empires.
Yesterday, we were told the reason a political office holder
is highly paid even more than the university lecturers. They stated that it is
because a politician only have to spend four to eight years in office after
which he or she has nothing else to take home when the tenure comes to an end. Before our very eyes today we have seen
political office holders turn to pensioners; presidents, Governors, speakers of
house of reps, senate presidents, even local government chairmen are not left
out as they have all made and immediately passed laws making them pensionable
with stipulated outrageous sums including cars on yearly basis and yet we have
laws. Yet, one of the laws that would benefit Nigeria growing economy such as the
PIB is still in the hallowed chamber begging to be passed for many years now.
Who is deceiving who? The youths just do not know how well they have aided all
this anomalies in Nigeria. I THINK as youths we need to wake up and take our
place chasing out all these outdated agents of change and making Nigeria to
become what we all desire because nobody else can do it if not the youths. WHAT
DO YOU THINK?
