Former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun
Obasanjo, has charged political leaders to desist from using other people's
children as political thugs during elections, while they keep theirs in ‘safe
havens’.
The former president also acknowledged that young Africans
are not too young to run for political offices, but noted that insurmountable
barriers, which include the hurdle of outrageously exorbitant cost of party
nomination forms and campaign costs, were put against them to make them stay
away.
Speaking on Wednesday while presenting a paper: ‘Demystifying
Leadership Capacity Deficit of African Youths: Our Future is in their Hands’,
at the inauguration edition of King’s College London Global Leaders Engagement
Series held in London, United Kingdom, Obasanjo identified lack of economic
opportunity; inclusion and adoption of policies on education; skill acquisition;
empowerment and employment as some of the obstacles hindering African youths
from playing active roles in leadership, development and peace building.
He, however, revealed that despite these hindrances, he saw
hope of a continent where the creative energies, intellectual prowess and
ingenuity of the continent's youths is capable of leading Africa to a promise
land.
According to a statement issued by his Special Assistant on
Media, Mr. Kehinde Akinyemi, the former president lamented that many young
people are systematically marginalised because of their young age, limited
opportunities, and projected lack of experience.
According to him, "Let’s stop using other people’s
children as experimental subjects, while we keep ours in safe havens. Enough of
using other people’s children as political thugs and ballot box snuffers, while
we send ours to Ivy League schools. Enough of thinking we know what is right
for young people without their input or the courtesy of asking for their
opinions.”
He also identified insurmountable barriers against
youth seeking elective posts, and stressed that Africa must learn to train its
youths to succeed their leaders.
"Succession planning is a culture that Africa
needs to imbibe. It increases the number of people who are capable and
available to assume leadership roles when the incumbent is no longer available
to do so. This, ladies and gentlemen, is a deliberate process.
"We cannot continue to assume that by mere
observation from afar, young people understand why we do what we do. We must
introduce them to our networks and partners; set them up to represent us in
important meetings while we can still guide and nurture them. An organisation
should not be ruined because one person is no longer available to lead,"
Obasanjo stated.
On the barriers against the not-too-young-to-rule
policy, the former president suggested that if there is any need for
constitutional change or political party structures to be amended, such should
be done to make the youth more involved in contesting for elective posts.
"If constitutional changes are required, let us
begin now. If policies and political party structures have to change, let us
begin now. Of what use is a law that allows young people contest for a
particular office only to be confronted with the hurdle of outrageously
exorbitant cost of party nomination forms and campaign costs?” he asked.
Obasanjo, however, noted that the young people must
continue to engage political leaders "till they lower the cost of election
and governance in Africa.
He added that the young people must remember that the
future is influenced by the present and the past. The present is a legacy of
the past handed over by other generation. This legacy, he said, “is a product
of hard work, successes, failures and experience. It must be preserved. The
youth must understand that today’s leaders are tomorrow’s seniors and the
record of their leadership will also become a legacy to another generation.”
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