By REMINISCING ON NIGERIAN YOUTHS AND NATIONAL YOUTH COUNCIL
by Comr Asoro Abubakri Olatunji
International Youth Right Day should be another date set aside and an angle to reminisce on the youth needs and rights. These includes the Right to Education, Freedom and Infrastructural facility.
Right to freedom may include freedom of association including freedom from discrimination and all kind of domestic violence, participatory government inclusive.
While some states have shown willingness and established direction for it self on youth development through its various youth policies, some states in Nigeria have shown no direction and its programs for the youths can hardly be verified through any printed document. This notwithstanding, not any administrative project execution may have even been targeted at youths.
While the federal government may have not relented on its oars in reviewing and dishing out policies, the policies may just end in prints without any political will to implement. For example, while the National Youth Policy identified the age of youth to end at 35 before it downward review, various youth appointments including commissioner for youth has gone to people better called “Grandfathers”. The Buhari government through its Minister of Youth have to it’s credit the downward review of the youth age to 29, however, the youth leaders in the ruling party and other political party are far more older than 35 -40. Even during the campaign, while PDP hammered on youth inclusiveness in it manifesto, the ruling APC was silent and when some youths makes the demand during one of the victories party of the president, he did remind them that he has a constituency to protect too. In most cases, the policies stops at print, to manifest in reality becomes a struggle in futility.
The level of insecurity in the country calls for concern. While the principal sponsors of this criminals may be old adult, 4 of 5 of this criminals are youths. It is as a result of failed government and inability to cater to the yearning of the youths.
Today, when you talk of a Nigeria youth, what comes to mind is, unemployment, thugery, yahooism and so on. It is baffling that the same youth condemn and blame for everything at home, starts doing great once they cross the border of Nigeria abroad.
Then on whose table should the blame really stop if not for a government without an atmosphere to thrive. It’s easy to venture into criminality because it always seem to be the only option available.
Sadly, while other interest groups exist to fight for the interest of its members, the National Youth Council of Nigeria who should lead the struggle for the emancipation of Nigeria youth is embellished in selfishness and political interest causing unsolicited division. While this is supposed to be seen as the shame of the greatest order by the political circle, it is rather seen as an extension of the same show of shame not alien to Nigeria politics. A son only takes after his father.
Where two elephants fight the grass suffer, while division upon division continue to happen in the National Youth Council, the youthdom suffers. Rather than lead the struggle for the alleviation of the sufferings of the youths, its leaders and board of trustees engage in a dance of shame, and their ego gave them the feeling that they are above all and probably they are doing the best.
History will not forget everyone.
In as much as it is always convenient to push every blame on the government, the youth must show sign of readiness for liberation and must themselves be ready to resist every spirit of division among it self. While I acknowledge that most of the problem facing the council is been caused by some tired legs who call themselves leaders, the youths must also buckle up and take responsibility.
Godfatherism itself is seen as unhealthy to the society but it is mostly unhealthy where it doesn’t affect the polity positively.
While the council remain a “blessing” to youthdom, our failure to clean the augean stable are the “causes” of a “curse” that the council has been to the youthdom.
