WE DO NOT ONLY NEED THE YOUTHS IN GOVERNMENT, WE NEED A NEW MINDSET IN THE WAY WE RUN GOVERNMENT
October 26, 2020 | News
Do we need youths to have a better country? This question is hinged on the fact that our current political leaders all started leading as youths. Yet, we are where we are today.
WE DO NOT ONLY NEED THE YOUTHS IN GOVERNMENT, WE NEED A NEW MINDSET IN THE WAY WE RUN GOVERNMENT
With the cry out for good governance, and the need for the Nigerian youths to be given the opportunities to be in Executive government/Legislative positions across all levels, somebody asked a very vital question, which is, Do we need youths to have a better country? This question is hinged on the fact that our current political leaders all started leading as youths. Yet, we are where we are today.
If we are to check their respective ages and subtract the last 20 years of democracy from it, we would see what we have. Let's take Rotimi Amaechi for instance. He is 55 now. He's 6 years into the position of Minister. That means he became Minister at 49. But he was Governor for 8 years. That means he became Governor at 41. Prior to that, he was Speaker of the River State House of Assembly for 8 years, that means he was Speaker at 33. Just 33 years!
How youths can be? Do the maths for all of them and you will see that these Nigerian youths have brought us nothing. Babatunde Fashola is 57 years. He was in Tinubu's Cabinet. Tinubu became Governor 21 years ago. Remove 21 from 57, that's 36. How can youth be? Wike of Rivers State is 53. He has been in power for the last 15 to 20 years.
That's 33-35. How can youth be?
Dimeji Bankole was just 37 years as Speaker in the National Assembly. Ahmed Lawan is 61. He has been in the assembly since 1999. That was 21 years ago at the age of 40. Are you seeing what we have? But what did we gain?
This is the reason for the subject matter. Which makes one wonder on the fact that we don't really need the youths to see the change we all desire in governance. WHAT WE NEED IS A CHANGE OF MINDSET AND ATTITUDE.
Even Ben Ayade was a youth when he became a Senator. James Ibori of Delta State was a youth when he became governor. The governor of Lagos Sanwo-olu is a youth. In fact, right from 1999, apart from Olusegun Obasanjo and few others, the rest were all young people. Salisu Buhari, a youth was the first Speaker in 1999 in the House of Representatives, but he left that seat on account of a certificate forgery scandal. Even Ghali Umar N'abba, the Speaker that took over from him was a youth. Orji Kalu and majority of all of them were youths then. The former Senate President, Bukola Saraki was a youth as a governor of Kwara State.
I have observed that, these set of politicians still circulated themselves among their age bracket with the government space. It was until recent time that Muhammadu Buhari led Federal administration became dominated with older people. But the fact is that as the politicians in power are aging, they don't bring in, or allow the younger people to take Executive positions in the governance of their State and the country. They still retain their age bracket in the government of the day. Right from 1960, the Government of Nigeria were all dominated by younger people then. Nnamdi Azikiwe was the oldest at 42, but he was still a youth. Awolowo, Tafawa Balewa and Anthony Enahoro, Michael Okpara and many others were all youths.
So, the problem is that, though the Nigerian politicians started as youths, but as soon as they join politics/government, and as they are aging, they just refuse to bring in or allow the younger people to take over from them. But rather, they keep rotating themselves. They are imitating US politicians who circulate themselves in government too. Donald Trump of the Republican party is aging, and now US Democrats are bringing somebody older than Trump to contest with him. Joe Biden is an elderly man and all his life, he has been in government and was a US Vice President for eight years. Mr. Bill Clinton was a US President for eight years, and his wife became Secretary of state under Barack Obama, who later contested with Trump but failed. If you look at the US Congress and Senate, they are dominated by older people. Mr Donald Trump was said to have said that the majority of US Politicians have not created wealth for US one bit. But that they only depend on government throughout their lives. This is one point I bought from Mr. Donald Trump because that is the same story here in Nigeria. The only difference is that at least, the US politicians still bring about the development of their country as they practice true Federalism. But their older generation still dominate their government. What is someone like Joe Biden going to do in the US White House for instance?
Then let us talk about Nigeria, once a Nigerian politician is appointed/elected, he/she will not quit politics again. They join politics/governance as younger people and they remain there throughout their lifetime.
Like I have said many times, and will still repeat myself; Zik Gbemre will not accept any appointment offer whether at the community/Local Government Council level, Delta state level or Federal Government level. But I still believe that there is need to give opportunities to the younger people to lead the country. My only fear is that when these protesting youths join politics/government of Nigeria, I hope they will quit when it's time for other much younger people to take over from them, and not circulate themselves in politics/government like what these Nigerian leaders of today are doing now, even when it is obvious that they are short of innovative ideas on how to run a government.
In my opinion, Nigeria needs the energies, prowess, innovation and the 21st century ideas of its youths, for us to have a better Nigeria. But when the genuine protesting youths are elected/appointed, they should do what is right, and quit the stage for other younger people who have better ideas to take over and continue from where they stopped. They should not glue themselves to politics/government like the America experience.
Both young and old, have a role to play for the new Nigeria we seek. Else, it's the same story. The Nigerian youths have always been in power in Nigeria. The only problem is that they become old in government at all levels. Hence, we are here. So, let's ask for the right things to be done.
Zik Gbemre.
October 25, 2020.
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes
With the cry out for good governance, and the need for the Nigerian youths to be given the opportunities to be in Executive government/Legislative positions across all levels, somebody asked a very vital question, which is, Do we need youths to have a better country? This question is hinged on the fact that our current political leaders all started leading as youths. Yet, we are where we are today.
If we are to check their respective ages and subtract the last 20 years of democracy from it, we would see what we have. Let's take Rotimi Amaechi for instance. He is 55 now. He's 6 years into the position of Minister. That means he became Minister at 49. But he was Governor for 8 years. That means he became Governor at 41. Prior to that, he was Speaker of the River State House of Assembly for 8 years, that means he was Speaker at 33. Just 33 years!
How youths can be? Do the maths for all of them and you will see that these Nigerian youths have brought us nothing. Babatunde Fashola is 57 years. He was in Tinubu's Cabinet. Tinubu became Governor 21 years ago. Remove 21 from 57, that's 36. How can youth be? Wike of Rivers State is 53. He has been in power for the last 15 to 20 years.
That's 33-35. How can youth be?
Dimeji Bankole was just 37 years as Speaker in the National Assembly. Ahmed Lawan is 61. He has been in the assembly since 1999. That was 21 years ago at the age of 40. Are you seeing what we have? But what did we gain?
This is the reason for the subject matter. Which makes one wonder on the fact that we don't really need the youths to see the change we all desire in governance. WHAT WE NEED IS A CHANGE OF MINDSET AND ATTITUDE.
Even Ben Ayade was a youth when he became a Senator. James Ibori of Delta State was a youth when he became governor. The governor of Lagos Sanwo-olu is a youth. In fact, right from 1999, apart from Olusegun Obasanjo and few others, the rest were all young people. Salisu Buhari, a youth was the first Speaker in 1999 in the House of Representatives, but he left that seat on account of a certificate forgery scandal. Even Ghali Umar N'abba, the Speaker that took over from him was a youth. Orji Kalu and majority of all of them were youths then. The former Senate President, Bukola Saraki was a youth as a governor of Kwara State.
I have observed that, these set of politicians still circulated themselves among their age bracket with the government space. It was until recent time that Muhammadu Buhari led Federal administration became dominated with older people. But the fact is that as the politicians in power are aging, they don't bring in, or allow the younger people to take Executive positions in the governance of their State and the country. They still retain their age bracket in the government of the day. Right from 1960, the Government of Nigeria were all dominated by younger people then. Nnamdi Azikiwe was the oldest at 42, but he was still a youth. Awolowo, Tafawa Balewa and Anthony Enahoro, Michael Okpara and many others were all youths.
So, the problem is that, though the Nigerian politicians started as youths, but as soon as they join politics/government, and as they are aging, they just refuse to bring in or allow the younger people to take over from them. But rather, they keep rotating themselves. They are imitating US politicians who circulate themselves in government too. Donald Trump of the Republican party is aging, and now US Democrats are bringing somebody older than Trump to contest with him. Joe Biden is an elderly man and all his life, he has been in government and was a US Vice President for eight years. Mr. Bill Clinton was a US President for eight years, and his wife became Secretary of state under Barack Obama, who later contested with Trump but failed. If you look at the US Congress and Senate, they are dominated by older people. Mr Donald Trump was said to have said that the majority of US Politicians have not created wealth for US one bit. But that they only depend on government throughout their lives. This is one point I bought from Mr. Donald Trump because that is the same story here in Nigeria. The only difference is that at least, the US politicians still bring about the development of their country as they practice true Federalism. But their older generation still dominate their government. What is someone like Joe Biden going to do in the US White House for instance?
Then let us talk about Nigeria, once a Nigerian politician is appointed/elected, he/she will not quit politics again. They join politics/governance as younger people and they remain there throughout their lifetime.
Like I have said many times, and will still repeat myself; Zik Gbemre will not accept any appointment offer whether at the community/Local Government Council level, Delta state level or Federal Government level. But I still believe that there is need to give opportunities to the younger people to lead the country. My only fear is that when these protesting youths join politics/government of Nigeria, I hope they will quit when it's time for other much younger people to take over from them, and not circulate themselves in politics/government like what these Nigerian leaders of today are doing now, even when it is obvious that they are short of innovative ideas on how to run a government.
In my opinion, Nigeria needs the energies, prowess, innovation and the 21st century ideas of its youths, for us to have a better Nigeria. But when the genuine protesting youths are elected/appointed, they should do what is right, and quit the stage for other younger people who have better ideas to take over and continue from where they stopped. They should not glue themselves to politics/government like the America experience.
Both young and old, have a role to play for the new Nigeria we seek. Else, it's the same story. The Nigerian youths have always been in power in Nigeria. The only problem is that they become old in government at all levels. Hence, we are here. So, let's ask for the right things to be done.
Zik Gbemre.
October 25, 2020.
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes