Article by TonyeBarcanista,
I received a call from a member of my palmchat social media circle probing my silence on the appointment of 84-years old Otunba Senator Biyi Durojaiye as the new Chairman of Nigeria Communication Commission, a sector unarguably dominated by young people. Though I wasn’t impressed by the appointment of Otunba Biyi, and I see it as another setback in the agitation for a generational shift in leadership, I still couldn’t help but do a retrospection in PDP, that I am unfortunately aligned with at the moment to check whether it is any different.
About 24hours after the appointment of Otunba Durojaiye, the Makarfi led Caretaker Committee of the PDP released a 248-member National Convention Committee list and another 80-member Finance Committee list for the Convention. A look at the 328 Member Combined list will show names of those that came, saw and never conquered. No single individual within the youth age of 18-35 was considered. In the list, there are lots of people that are even in their Seventies(official age). On sighting the list, I told some members of my clique that young people are in trouble in both parties. Then I asked “What is the difference between the appointment of Senator Durojaiye and the PDP Convention Committee list?”
APC AND PDP DON’T CARE ABOUT THE YOUTH
If you take a look at the ministers appointed by the government of President Muhammadu Buhari, the “youngest” minister as at time of appointment was/is Abubakar Malami (SAN), who is the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation. How “young” is he? He was 48years as at time of appointment in 2015, and now 49. Kemi Adeosun, the finance minister that people call “young” is also 49(a month older than Malami). Meanwhile, the Youth Policy in Nigeria defines youths as citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria within the age of 18–35 years. In other words, there is NOT a single Youth within Buhari cabinet… Even the Youth Affairs Minister is 54 years of age.
Under the last administration, the only youth that made it into the cabinet of President Goodluck Jonathan was Dr Nurudeen Mohammed, who was appointed at age 35, though the appointment was commendable, he was however relegated to the position of junior minister despite his performance in the Senate during screening exercise. Meanwhile, the former President would later appoint a 58years old two-time former Governor of Adamawa state, Boni Haruna as “Youth Minister”. He would also appoint an 80years old Dr. Christopher Kolade as Head of Sure-P, and an 80-years old Bamangar Tukur as “Ambassador at Large”. For those that may be unaware, Tukur was a Governor of Gongola state in 1983 (36years ago).
In truth, political appointment in this part of the world is about “sharing” the spoils among party top chieftains and not based on factors that will push the country forward. This is the norm in both PDP and APC, and unfortunately for young people, they are never considered in the scheme of things because they were not among the “FOUNDING FATHERS” of either parties. The interesting thing about the whole event is that both APC and PDP have a form of established barter system where there is an unwritten code that mandates both parties to heavily reward any chieftain that switches camps. This privilege is only reserved for “elder chieftains’ not rank and file youths.
THE CHIEFTAINS OF PARTIES IN BOTH APC AND PDP WILL CONTINUE TO HOLD SWAY
If you look at both parties, for one to emerge as candidate for General election or Conventions, he must win popular votes among the “delegates” of the party. Who are these delegates?
While some may assume that the “youths” from both camps can mobilise themselves with their clear majority, both parties constitution doesn’t work that way.
In the PDP for instance, to elect a governorship candidate, the party constitution provides that each ward will present 3 delegates, of which one will be a woman. To provide shield in case of hijack, the party provides that there shall be “AUTOMATIC DELEGATES”. These automatic delegates include, National Chairman and Members of the National Executive Committee, Elected office holders from the state, Members of the Zonal and State Executive Committee, LG Party Secretary, Treasurer, Youth Leader and Woman Leader, Former members of state Working Committee, Former Governor and Deputy produced by the Party and Former Speakers & Deputy Speakers.
A look at the “automatic delegates” has given the “Chieftains” undue advantage in the whole process. We shouldn’t even forget that even the ward congress is organised by the chieftains and their wish stays. This is not different from APC… Well, their party after all.
NIGERIA NEEDS 21ST CENTURY LEADERSHIP
Nigeria is in a quagmire because the people that were the problem are the same group of people parading themselves as the solution, even when they either lack the cognitive skill required of 21st century leadership or they are simply there to further their business.
Our present crop of Governors and LGA Chairmen are unable to use modern skills to achieve wealth creation, neither are they able to utilise various resources in their domain to shoot IGR upward. Shamefully, most of them believe that governance is about sitting in the office and waiting for oil money to share. Some see governance as frivolty like posing for pictures with the poor and those in need of good governance. Sadly, they couldn’t consider it wise to appoint smart brains as Special Advisers to help shaping their administration.
NIGERIA YOUTHS MUST STEP UP
Nigeria Youths must arise. Our South African neighbours have grown beyond youth being part of governance but moved to young people taking over reins of power. Unlike Nigeria that keep permuting men of mid and late 50s-60s to succeed Buhari, South Africans are permuting lads of 33-45 to succeed Jacob Zuma in 2019. We need a change in orientation and take that leap of faith for the sake of Nigeria and our future.
THE POWER OF YOUTHS
In 2013, a group of SA youths led by 33years old Julius Malema, a former President of ANC Youth Wing formed a political party called Economic Freedom Fighters. In 2015 August, they successfully secured a judgement from the Constitutional Court to order President Jacob Zuma and the Speaker to payback state funds that was used for personal effect. Before the judgement, the party participated in 2014 Parliamentary election and won a whopping TWENTY-FIVE seats out of 400 in the National Assembly, and Seven out of 90 in the National Council of Province. These are in addition to seats won in various provinces. In fact, they became the third force in South Africa.
In 2014 a 17-years old Joshua Wong, and other teenagers including Agnes Chow and Oscar Lai, and 21-years old Nathan law led fellow students to shut down Hong Kong for almost two months due to unfavorable pro-China policy. Even after the protest, these lads went ahead to form a Political Party in April 2016 Demosistō. Nathan Law(23) is the Chairman, Oscar Lai is Vice Chairman, and Joshua Wong is Secretary general. A key agenda in their manifesto is self-determination for Hong Kong people, and they have been growing in popularity despite government persecution.
I believe that I have said a lot. I wish to take a pause at this juncture.
As for my PDP friends, before you criticise Buhari for appointing an 84-years old man as NCC Chairman, please ask yourself whether or not PDP considered a youth in their own appointment. As for those young people that are justifying the appointment, I leave you to your conscience.