When a leader acquires inward peace, the multitude of people around him shall find their salvation. But if the leader lacks peace of mind, the coarseness of everything he does is conspicuous through failure and unpatriotism.
I am worried; yes, I mean I am worried because of Imo youths and how this administration has been treating them. Before I continue to express my worries on Imo youths and how they are being treated by this administration, it is very imperative to accentuate here that we live in a political society that neglect the socio-economic cum political well being of their youths. Why do they want the youths to carry arms and engage in violence before their voice could be heard?
It was Charles Kingsley who says, “Old men make wars – young men die in them.” This assertion is absolute owing to the fact that it is the youths that go to war while the old men who caused or created the war stay at home. In any battle field, you can never find any old man; not at all. Young men go to war while the old men sit at home and give direction. Today, I ask our old men, why are they constantly neglecting the youths? What make them feel they will succeed without the youths?
Obviously, in our great country the same old men who were at the corridor of political power since 1960 are the same people that are still in power till date. I make bold to ask, where are the strength of the society- the youths? They only remember us when there is need to demonstrate against one political enemy or the other. When there is communal crisis and during election period you see them looking out for the youths. Why do they find it very difficult to give us political slot? Why do they find it hard to share their political ticket (for State House of Assembly, Federal House of Representative, Senate and Governorship tickets) among the youths? If truly the youths are in the majority, we should at least have 50% political say on any decision that should concern us come 2019. Our fathers should not decide before consulting us; we should be consulted too because we are in the majority.
Our old politicians should give way for the younger ones, they should advice and maybe direct if they have not lost their sense of direction. They should sit at home and watch how the youths will fight to better the economy and politics they have destroyed. Old age is golden, they should not resent growing old rather than resenting they should thank God for it because many have been denied the privilege.
In the words of Prof. Protus Nathan Uzorma, “Old age is a gift from God but maturity is born of experience and virtue measured by everyday conduct.” The point here is that both old and young are needed in building a strong political society. According to Lyman Bryson, “The error of youth is to believe intelligence is a substitute for experience, while the error of age is to believe that experience is a substitute for intelligence.” Intelligence and experience are necessary to destabilize our political inequality and disparity, when this is done then there will be need to stabilize and consolidate our political strength using the youths. This requires the effort of both old and young. Our old politicians should bring their good experience while the youths should be allowed to bring their intelligence for us to have political strength and maintain equilibrium. It is an abomination for our political fathers to think they could do it all alone.
The old politicians should not think the youths are not wise enough to see all that they are doing to our future. Today, our old men could talk of the good old days but the youth of this era cannot talk of the good old days when we are old because it was destroyed by our fathers. What an abomination! If our old political fathers are matured as they claim, they should then reason with us-the youths and give us our own quota. It was Fred Smith who says that “maturity doesn’t come with age; it comes by acceptance of responsibility.” They should accept involving the youths in the political process and see it as a responsibility that will bring about transformation. It is our future that we are talking about here and we must have a say.
In Igbo cosmology, there is respect for elders and parents themselves cherish their children so much that they give them beautiful names that show their values for children, such names are: Nwaka ego- a child is more precious than money, Nwajindu- a child sustains the life of parents, Nwabugo- a child of glory, to mention but a few. For the Igbo man, children are priceless possessions and no family will be happy without a child. Again, it is the duty and responsibility of any parent in Igbo society to pray that his child should be greater than himself.
If a true father prays and wishes his son or daughter to be greater than him, what is happening now in our political society is a profound topsy-turvy of our traditional values. The political class, the old men-our political fathers have refused to give us ladder to climb as to be greater than them. Their philosophy is to create scarcity and lack among their children so that in any election period they will then open their hands with little money to empower the youths in order to be voted for. What an abomination! Are our fathers not watching us die as a result of what they put us into? Are our fathers not sending us to carry ballot boxes for them during election? Are they not the ones we are dying for from time to time during any election? Is it not an abomination for a father to watch his child die while he is still alive in Igbo land? Something must be done soon!
The above is not in line with our orientation and traditional norms. Some of these politicians have expired and do not have anything to contribute in the advancement of our society in line with the principles of social and political dynamism. The society is growing so fast and they have been caught up by the psychological philosophy of diminishing return which is natural politically. Some of them have taken their slot in 1960 took it again in 1970 continued in 1980. Some joined in 1980 to 1990 continued to 2000 and now still want to take it again in 2019, is it morally right? Our political father, where are your children – the youths? Why have you decided to punish them as if they are not part of the society?
The youths are at the receiving end of all good and bad political policies. Yes, they are living like strangers in a land that freely belongs to all of us. When shall this madness end? I ask for the third time, when shall this madness end? Is it an abomination to have a competent youth governor come 2019? I use this opportunity to call on the entire youths of Imo state to arise and come together in order to overcome this enslavement. Together we can!
Let me at this point emphasize that we the youths in Imo state are not against the elders and our political fathers, but what we are against is the fact that they have continued to neglect us and treat us the way people treat lawyers. Yes, humans only remember lawyers when they have problem. Our political fathers and leaders of today only remember us when there is need. They use us and dump us. Let us say no to all those things that negates the civilization of our era, let us shun thuggery, arm robbery, snatching of ballot boxes and much more.
Let us be part of the desired change. We must be consulted for any decision that concerns us. We must be part of the political process come 2019, our youths must be given ticket to run for elective positions, we are out for it, and there is no going back. No Imo youth no negotiation, no Imo youth no decision, no Imo youth no zoning, no Imo youth no good governance.
