Ogun Youth and the Power Challenge

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Organise yourselves. Don’t expect much from government. No one is planning for you. Erstwhile speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole harped on these statements recently. The event was the launch of Habeeb Whyte’s compendium -The Burden of Irrelevancy. Youth, from far and near, congregated to felicitate with Whyte and contribute to discussions on politics and governance in Ogun.

The timing of the launch was apt. Media organisations and stakeholders alike are counting the days and weeks to the 2019 general election. Media products from editorials to news stories and features stare and beg for our attention across board- traditional and new media. Independent National Electoral Commission is readying for the all-important process with register of voters on display at all of the 119,973 polling units nationwide.

The line-up of guests was superb. Three governorship aspirants in the state found the event worthy of their presence. They attended in person and by proxy. Bankole, one of the aspirants opted for a brief appearance.

At a time mudslinging is the norm and issues based campaigns have been forced to take a backseat, ex-Speaker Bankole raised cogent developmental issues. He spoke extensively on local government administration and admitted that the tier is an impediment to the advancement of the country. In one of my articles, Strengthening Local Government Administration in Nigeria published in The Guardian of April 23, 2018, I wrote: “It is quite displeasing that local governments have metamorphosed into appendages of state governments.” This is but one of our many drawbacks. Having identified a germane issue as this, one would have expected the guber hopeful to match the problem with practical solutions. But the guber hopeful settled for a game of ego.

Provision of primary education and primary health came to the fore as requisite fundamentals for the prosperity of Ogun. The other day, we cried foul and kicked when Nigeria was named as the world’s headquarters of extreme poverty. No sane society relegates basic healthcare and education. Only sane societies that pay close attention to these and other essentials witness ascensions on global economic rankings. The former leader of the green chamber gelled with the audience in this regard. His body language and statements on grasping political power stirred arguments on the sides.

Egotism defined his negotiations with the audience. Just like most political actors, the political aspirant shut down every possible means of engaging with the audience on issues. Yet he is eyeing the Chief Executive Officer position of the gateway state.

You see our politicians like to feel themselves. They take the electorate for granted. They underestimate the power of the electorate. I am sure they are in the know that citizens can strengthen and weaken their structures.

Check the power plays in Ogun, Zamfara and Imo. These locations have one thing in common. Political actors in each location have no regard for the people. Rather, they are interested in pursuing ‘interests’ (selfish ones) more vigorously than they for projects and matters of concern. But confronting the afemi, afemi politician who is an enemy of democracy and good governance is not a task for the fainthearted and ill-prepared youth. It would require preparedness. The youth would have to display a strong sense of purpose to lead discussions on issues and developments. It would require the youth to rise above petty sentiments.

My amiable brother, Moshood Muhammed equally shares my position on how the youth constituency can challenge the powers that be and exert influence. He offered: “If the youth desire a place in government, or wish to make a CHANGE (not some party’s kind, pls), they must ‘organize themselves’. Nigerians leaders care less what happen to the people. Hence, the people must use their power effectively at every opportunity.” I couldn’t have said it better.

Discussions at the event touched on the need for youth to seek knowledge and guidance from established politicians. I listened raptly to arguments and submissions from both sides of the divide. That you desire to be a relevant political figure, keen on working for common good shouldn’t propel you to be a lackey to a political mentor. The best way to go about this is to set goals for learnings and restrictions to guide the relationship.

Considering overt and secretive intents of our politicians, there is no alternate route for the Ogun youth constituency in particular, and the Nigerian youth population in general to tread than being prepared. The challenge goes beyond unorganized agitations and social media permutations and analyses. The matter requires a talk-and-do mindset. Power and influence is not dished out freely. It is not tomatoes that you can purchase easily at the local market in the neighbourhood. You earn it. You work for it. After all, we have been advised to organize ourselves. 2019 is a good starting point for Ogun youth to begin to assume even higher positions of influence in the scheme of things in the state. They can raise the bars with involvement and participation. They can do more beyond the regular. The youth constituency can build a formidable force to reckon with. There can be no better time to start fixing the structure than now. The youth must organize for good. Preparedness is the way to go! Afeez Odunoye is a social commentator