By- Marcus Ekure
Looking at the alarming scourge of looting in public offices and its attendant consequences on our nation’s wellbeing, as could be seen in multi billions being discovered by the EFCC in houses of politician’s everyday, one cannot but break the silence!
Thank God for the whistle blowing strategy which has ceaselessly and mercilessly demystified mysteries that would have seem unbelievable to the citizenry of Nigeria who have perpetually and hopelessly remained victims of circumstances praying for a dark cloud which would never fade to fade!
Personally, and like many others, I have never been keenly involved in partisan politics and have always prepared the nonchalant side on national issues except for now that current manifestations & circumstances in this country and the need to act may push one in that regard!
In the light of the delicate interfaces currently staring Nigeria on the face such as infighting and lack of focus by our law makers (both state and federal), high rate of corruption in public offices and visionlessness on the part of our leaders, economic meltdown, value decay & erosion cum moral decadence, insecurity just to mention but a few, the only conclusion that comes to mind is that, ”WE NEED A NEW NIGERIA”.
A Nigeria of equal right and opportunities devoured of corruption and visionlessness. A Nigerian that would be governed by leaders, not politicians! A Nigeria that would run based on system & plans rather than impulse or dictate of godfatherism! A Nigeria that fans and air conditional would be made to blow humans and not stolen public funds in the houses of those we entrusted power in their hands! A Nigeria where forces of supply and demand would be the natural determinant of prices for goods and services! A Nigeria where Naira would equate or surmount dollar/ pounds sterling! A Nigeria that would permit old men to dream dreams and young men to see vision rather than old men doing both like it has been hitherto! A Nigeria that would rank excellence over mediocrity!! A Nigeria that would protect the rights and privileges of its citizenry to the later!! The list can go on & on uninterrupted!
But pertinent after this much, is the question of ”who fits the bill”? The messianic positions, who are those to occupy? Zig Ziglar said, ” doing things the way they have been done, yet you need change is a clear definition of foolishness.” No doubt, if there must be a new Nigeria then there must be new set of leaders with a different ideology.
As a country, we have remained and stayed too long under the siege and bondage of a microscopic few under the guise of Nationalism. The same crops of leaders since independence are still the ones in charge directly or indirectly holding this country spell bound! Many of them have become old but prefer to perpetually cling to the system while others duplicated themselves in their children who share the same ideology.
Needless to say, the current manifestations in this country are a wake up call for the Nigerian youth! These old politicians keep creating and sponsoring the youths against the youths, creating reasons the youths cannot rule thereby holding them chained in perpertual slavery with hope capital! Yet decorate them with sweet titles such as ” FUTURE LEADERS”, knowing fully well that the future would never come!
Fellow Nigerian youths, my name is Marcus Ekure, a social entrapreneur, youth and community developer! I believe in change but not old change! Irrespective of political party affiliations, I believe in New and lasting change and the only way this change can be driven to friution is for young people(the youths) to contest elections and take power from these old blood! It is doable! Though they have the money but we have the ultimate power! If the youths can collectively see it as a pain and challenge, they can and would conquer whether there is money or not. If and only if the youths who kill for them, snatch ballot boxes at the expense of their destinies would use their head, then victory is sure!!
What they tell us about age is false! Age really and truly is not the ultimate! Fidel Castro of Cuba was just 21 when he fought and became the President of Cuba and with only Sugarcane as natural resources, he recorded a slot for Cuba in the comity of nations! What about these old leaders of ours? Many of them became leaders in the 60s between the ages of 21 to 35 and they even performed better and credibly than what we see today! No doubt laws of diminishing returns have set in!! How come these old leaders have climbed through the ladders at tender ages but suddenly lost confidence in the youth’s ability to climb successfully?
Fellow Nigerian Youths, 2019 is at the corner, if you know you are intellectually and potentially capable, I urge you to run for political offices since that is the only medium through which these national wrongs could be rewritten! I urge you to work to be followed rather than being a follower whether you have the means or not, believe in yourself, develop a positive and worthy agenda and we would support you! Whether you win or not is immaterial, it is better to attempt than not as winning is trying! We have waited for too long, we must change the way things are being done! They have agreed severally that they have failed us, yet they won’t let go! We need a government of youths now: that is the new Nigeria we are talking about.
If you are a youth, kindly spread this gospel to the later!! God Bless the New Nigeria!
