By Prof Nathan Protus Uzorma (The Reformer)
If to become a youth in Imo state is a crime, then let me be a criminal. Time is the rider which breaks in youth and an idle youth makes a needy old age. The young are still wise and should not be neglected politically in a growing society like ours. Yes, they should not be neglected at all because the only difference between the toys of the young and the toys of the old is the price.
Some of our misguided leaders think that the world was made for them alone which inform why they continue to neglect the great leaders of both today and tomorrow. As a result of this abysmal neglect on the youths, there is crisis here and there. Some of our youths also think that there is no reason to care for the society hence our leaders both at local, state and federal levels have abandoned them.
In the words of Charles Kingsley, “old men make wars, young men die in them”. The kind of war our present leaders are pushing us (the youths) into as a result of continuous negligence of our affairs, is the type that when we respond, we shall fight until we get the desired change needed. Imo youths should know that it is good to have ideals in youth days because you wouldn’t have it in old age, at the same time; it is good to fight for ones freedom at ones youthful age because it will be late at old age.
Let me at this point emphasize that the topic “Imo Youths Arise And Fight” does not in any way imply the use of arms or any kind of weapon to confront anybody or group of persons for any reason. But we can fight with our pen and through our votes.
0ur politicians only remember us whenever election is drawing closer. The youths in Imo state are suffering as a result of bad governance. Gov. Rochas Okorocha should show more sense of responsibility by curbing all his excesses and put concrete programmes in place to alleviate the sufferings of the Imo youths. I feel for our youths who are victims of one crime or the other as a result of bad governance and evil association. It is no longer news that some Imo youths have engaged themselves in various crimes and societal vices, ranging from armed robbery, kidnapping, ritual killings, baby trafficking, street cultism to mention but a few. It is obvious that the youths are aggrieved and disgruntled because of bad leadership that has no interest in them. As a matter of fact, taking to crimes as a result of the above, is also wrong. No right thinking youth should embark on crime as a solution to bad leadership, because it amount to fighting wrong with wrong. There is a way out!
Imo youths should be thinking on how to contribute their quota towards rejuvenating our nascent democracy by taking full part in 2015 election so as to take the bull by the horn. We should not allow the same people who are now gathering together to share the cake as usual to take power by using us and dumping us thereafter. If we agree that the youths constitute majority of the country’s population then, we have a voice and stake. It simply means that our destinies are in our hands. We must therefore arise and fight for our future is now. If in our context, democracy is the government of the people, by the people and for the people. It therefore means that it is the government of the majority of the electorate. It follows that Imo youths should use their numerical advantage in 2015 to right the wrongs by voting for the youths with vision. Let us use our numerical strength to arise and fight for our right and freedom.
The entire youth should shun all vices and come together to decide our future. The youths should start by participating positively and actively in politics. Any youth that has attained the voting age, should register with INEC so that you can vote and be voted for in future elections. Last week when I received an award from an international NGO, known as Community Link Initiative Int’l- owerri zone as “Icon of democracy” in Imo state, I used the opportunity while delivering my lectures on (“Free and Fair Election, Panacea for Sustainable Democracy, Obtainable through the Principle of one Man one Vote”) to among other things emphasize on the need for Imo youths to come out to contest for elective positions. This is because those who are leading us appear to have lost their sense of direction. Yes, some of our leaders need to be led.
I pity Imo youths so much because their future appears to have been mortgaged by the administration of Chief Okorocha. Imo youths are in trouble, just from April to the end of August 2014, Imo state Government would have received from the federal allocation about #50 billion, yet there is nothing to show for it. For almost four years in office now, Gov. Rochas has not attracted any industry to Imo state. All his projects are not economically viable. Gov. Rochas projects are like beautiful eggs with rotten yokes. In education which according to his rescue mission programme is free for all, Imo is in dare need of revival.
The questions I have always asked myself are: is it not more important to have instructional materials than propaganda? Does it make sense to have beautiful classroom blocks that are not equipped? Imo state consistently produced the highest number of students that passed JAMB in Nigeria with an average pass mark of 58% in the past but since the introduction of non-qualitative and non-quantitative free education by Gov. Rochas, Imo state is now numbering 8 with average failure mark of 39%. The worse thing any government can do to its youth is letting them go through a school system that cannot secure their future especially in a competitive society like ours.
Henceforth, voting should be based on conscience, principles and concrete developmental programmes that will assuage our sufferings. If the youths should continue to allow themselves to be used for violence and other electoral malpractices then their relevance ceases as soon as they are paid for the dirty jobs. As a matter of fact, if you are used and paid off, you have no moral standing to later complain of any political misrule. While we desire to fight for our rights, we must be sure that we are free from any of such.
Our leaders know that it will be easy to attract the youth with money during any election that is why they have made hunger and suffering part of us to enable them easily influence us with money to do their biddings, if we resolve to stop this permanently we should be prepared to say NO to their manipulation at all times.
The youths should remember the like of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Anthony Enahoro, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Belewa, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Herbert Macaulay, Dr. Alvan Ikoku, Michael Imodu, Chief S.L. Akintola and others who as youths labored day and night to ensure that the country got independence that we enjoy today. As they fought for us, there is no reason why the youths of the state should not come together to fight for our economic and political freedom. Yes, we can if we truly desire to do so.
All our efforts now should be on how we can put all our strength together in order to ameliorate the situation we have found ourselves. We can do this by insisting that 50% of various elective positions should be given to us. We can achieve this by joining forces with old patriotic politicians and show good intentions towards the change we so desire. Our voices must be heard and our impact must be felt in the daily running of affairs that will affect our lives and future. Let us not be docile anymore because any injustice to one is injustice to all. Imo youths should arise and fight for our tomorrow begins with today’s action.