Daily Independent

We seem in this country to underrate the youth. The vigour of youth is wasted in Nigeria, yet it is a national asset of great importance.  Old people must know when to retire from public life and hand over  the eternal torch to those that follow. Public life is really a relay race and not a straight mile.

There can never be a better time to situate the above-stated quote as now. The nation’s political tempo is nearing a feverish pitch, not because our next set of leaders are selling their manifestos or ready to solve our plethora of socio-economic problems. No! We are back to the same sad, old song of recycled but shamelessly desperate politicians and past military despots fouling our political space with their greed-driven dogmas. In saner climes they should be in deep, sober reflection over their crass failure to have transformed the nation’s political landscape from that of want to wealth. 

But here we are, fifty years after political independence still grappling with the basics of democracy. Free, fair, credible elections that we should have long achieved are still one distant dream. No thanks to the old brigade politicians who have failed woefully to take us to the promised land and yet, refuse to let go. It must be a crying shame indeed that with trillions of dollars of greasy oil money down the throat of successive  thieving rulers we cannot get the supply of electricity right. After decades of decadence decrepit infrastructure is still our lot. Pot-hole ridden roads dot the country’s geographical spectrum. Qualitative, affordable education as well as health care delivery are like Tantalous’ tempting treasures on the nebulous horizon. The growing pain is that the same old people responsible for bringing us to this sorry pass want to hold on to the reins of political power ad infinitum.

True patriots should therefore, be seriously concerned about making the desired change. The likes of  General Ibrahim Babangida, the nation’s greatest anti-democrat, Atiku Abubakar who spent eight good years as the  country’s Vice President and General Muhammadu Buhari, whose human rights records bleed with despicable injustice, should quit the stage now for the ‘newbreed politicians’ to take over the centre stage. They should take the blame for not having groomed capable successors, because they never really believed in true servant-leadership. They have had enough platform to exhibit their much-touted ‘wealth of experience.’

They refused to learn from history because long  before them young Nigerians it was who saw the need to galvanise this country into a formidable opposition to the colonialists. As at January, 1937 the Nigerian Youth Movement  had been formed. Their battle cry included intense nationalism, inter-tribal harmony, selfless service and a greater tomorrow, as enshrined in the Youth Charter which kick started the eventual call for self governance. Both Herbert Macaulay and Nnamidi Azikiwe who championed a similar cause were young Nigerians. 

Years later, the  late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo also saw the wisdom in grooming successors through the likes of Chief Lateef Jakande and late Chief Bola Ige who acquitted themselves creditably during the Second Republic. Some two decades later generational change has become the swan song of the global political elite.  

 Today, young Turks like Barack Obama, President of the United States and David Cameron, the Prime Minister of Great Britain are showing the old politicians what it means for youthful energy to pilot the nation’s affairs through the most turbulent economic waters. The fertile   political environment that has made them to flourish is predicated on the strength of constitutional democracy, anchored firmly on the rule of law.

One great feature in the emergence of the new set of politicians in western democracies is the grooming process. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton was once a governor of Arkansas State. It was his exemplary performance that emboldened his sponsors to convince him to contest for the ultimate plum political post.  President Barack Obama for instance, was a former senator who represented Illinois. Similarly, David Cameron was a parliamentarian. But here, the likes of Chris Okotie and Professor Pat Utomi feel they can climb the tree from the top. Politics is a different ball game from either shepherding a church or lecturing in a business school.

Grooming is an essential ingredient in the pot pourri of political performance. Let them first vie for councillorship, state legislature or even for a place at the National Assembly. We can then judge them on their contributions and see if they qualify for the higher pedestal of the presidency. For now, it is all political grandstanding for some neophytes to think they would be handed the much-coveted presidency on the alter of high- sounding grammar which they spew mostly before political campaigns. After that, they  recoil into their shells when the oppressors steamroll their greedy machines on our socio-economic terrain. How terribly sad!

No matter one’s misgivings over the gross misrule of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo  for eight years he did bring some notable young Nigerians to political limelight. Brilliant intellectuals such as Professor Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala, Professor Dora Akunyili, Dr. Obi Ezekweseli had the rare opportunity to showcase their professional expertise. Others included  the former EFCC czar, Nuhu Ribadu and erstwhile FCT Minister, Mallan Nasir el-Rufai. To a large extent they did their best, even if it was not good enough to take us out of the economic woods. 

One of the greatest challenges before our political elite, therefore, is how to identify and raise a new crop of patriotic, visionary, selfless and courageous Nigerians to take over form the old breed. We have them in abundance. What is lacking is the clement political climate to assist them to emerge.