ARE THE YOUTHS REALLY THE LEADERS OF TOMORROW!

The youths are the leaders of tomorrow, they say. This saying I have known since infancy and I have been wondering if that's really true in its real sense. It might be true of course but I found my mind to be more comfortable with the saying in the other way round. NO! THE YOUTHS ARE THE LEADERS OF TODAY. However it may be, whether the leaders of today or tomorrow, all that matters is the desire for difference from yesterday.

The time has come for us to mark the eve of the long awaited tomorrow for the youths to realize their position of leadership in the society. Different generations have come and passed but upon the present lies a greater expectation.

Having been born and raised in the giant of Africa, I have indeed witnessed a series of leaderships my country experienced. It has the highest population in Africa with a high wealth of natural resources, yet! Swallowed by the forces of anarchy. The prevalence of poor leadership not just in Nigeria but the whole of Africa makes the continent the most backward in terms of development. Poverty has spread its branches even to the remote corners of our society, corruption is deeply rooted, the notion of peace is becoming a tale, violation of rights have become nothing, freedoms are being threatened, lives are wasted, families destroyed and people dancing to the tune of illiteracy e.t.c and much more others too numerous to mention. All as a result of bad leadership.

The nagging question however remains, how far do we hope to go with these? Although it's been said that "even the devil does not know the mind of a man". Well! I am not a devil but I can say with bold assurance that deep within people's mind, there exist desire for change and are willing to press for it. That desire for change motivated me and guided my conscience as to the justiceability and appropriateness of my hand reducing such into this write-up.

Ever since mother Nigeria got it independence from the British colonialist in 1960, there has been a kind of table tennis passage of power within the same circle of individuals with the same system of administration on repetition over and over and over again. We have witnessed a series of military administration for quite long out of our years of independence. This has left the spirit of the military to still exist within our present democracy with the same authoritarian practices of disregard to law and procedure in operation. I wonder how possibly a change could come with the same people since independence playing soccer of power with Nigerians while there are potential youths with creative mind out there. Even the good few leaders are so pessimistic in carrying the youths along.

Perhaps I should quote the wordings of A.P Giannini (1870 - 1949), as saying: "I leave everything to the young men. You've got to give youthful men authority and responsibility if you're going to build up an organization. Otherwise you'll always be the boss yourself and you won't leave anything behind you."
I believe the call is now! Let the youths be allowed to participate at all level of policy and decision making for a greater and healthy democracy and to equally save the future of our establishments.

 As Francis Bacon (1561 - 1626) put it right that; "Young men are fitter to invent than to judge; fitter for execution than for counsel; and fitter for new projects than for settled business."

Perhaps, a good example to indicate how more passionate and sympathetic the youths are than the older generation is that of Yadoma Bukar Mandara, a young lady of 24

from Borno State and the youngest delegate at the ongoing National Conference in Nigeria. Yadoma Bukar pledged her confab allowances, a huge amount of money to the widows and childrenwho are victims of the present insurgence in the North - Eastern part of the Country.

Yadoma Bukar Mandara

TIME FOR A WHISTLE BLOWER LAW

In 1777, a midshipman in the United States Continental Navy by the name Samuel Shaw together with a Third Lieutenant Richard Marvin blew a whistle regarding the torture of British prisoners of war by the Commander-In-Chief of the Continental Navy during the revolutionary war. These two were regarded as heroes whose act led to the passage of the first Whistleblower Law passed in the United States by the Continental Congress on 30th July, 1778 by a unanimous vote. The United States equally declared to defend the two in a libel suit filed against them.

In 1972, W. Mark Felt who was an Associate Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation was responsible for leaking information on President Richard Nixon’s involvement in the Watergate scandal and which subsequently smoothen the way to the resignation of the Republican President Richard Nixon of the United States of America on the 9th August, 1974. Same whistle blown by Mark Felt saw the indictment, trial and conviction of about 43 people, majority of who were President Richard Nixon administration officials.

Another hero in the 1970s is Frank Serpico, then an officer of the New York police department (NYPD). Frank Serpico was the first police officer in the history of NYPD to step forward to report and subsequently testify openly about widespread, systematic corruption payoffs amounting to millions of dollars.

In some instances, the heroic whistle blowers are even awarded huge sum of money in appreciation of their honesty. Some among others include Cheryl D. Eckard who was awarded $96 Million in 2010 for exposing contamination problems at GSK’s Pharmaceutical Manufacturing operation. Another one was Bradley Birkenfeld who was awarded $104 Million in September 2012.

Now let’s compare similar instances within mother Nigeria. Some few months ago, a whistle was blown regarding a scandal that took place in the Aviation sector of Nigeria by the then Minister of Aviation, Ms Stella Oduah regarding a purchase of 2 BMW armoured Cars at N255 million for her personal use. To our surprise, the Federal Government shortly after the leak started to witch hunt the whistle blower who is an employee of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and tagging him a criminal. This led to a great controversy and so much criticism against the Federal Government with greater support to the whistle blower from every angle of the country and beyond. Some among others include Nigerian Human Rights Lawyer based in the United States, Aminu Gamawa, who promised to organize 100 lawyers in defence of the whistleblower in the event criminal charges are pressed against him. Another is Femi Fani-Kayode, who equally pledged to represent the whistleblower pro bono public in the event of prosecution. After much public effort and reactions, we can say the aviation ministry whistle blower narrowly escaped if truly he is off target.


Shortly after that, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi blew another whistle regarding a missing crude oil fund to the tune of $20 Billion from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). To the Nigerians greatest dismay, we woke up on the 20th of February, 2014 only to receive an update of the suspension of the same CBN Governor on the ground of financial recklessness and misconduct inconsistent with the administration’s vision of a Central Bank propelled by the core values of focused economic management, prudence, transparency and financial discipline.

At this point, we should ask what our Federal Government is really up to. This is a government that was brought up to the knowledge of inappropriateness within it, only for it to turn round and punish the man who made the call.  Ours is the usual side criticisms and a little barking from the few courageous ones which equally fade away as the clock ticks. For the present shameless act of the presidency however, the feeling is different as I feel the guilt from everywhere not because I was part of the decision but for being part as a Nigerian. I just pray with time, Nigerians will not start hiding their identity among other nationals for the shameless act of incompetency by our undeserving government.

 In the history of our country, there has been a series of political scandals and shameless abuse of office, but the same Governments have a sense of guilt. It surprise me how our present Government has no any iota of shame in its dealings and always act confidently in support of corruption as though it is ruling the kingdom of animals. I believe that if there is any time that Nigerians needs Whistleblower Protection Act, it is now; because it appears presently nobody will be safe for revealing any unwarranted act of our government. We need more whistle blowers. Enough is enough!

PACE OF HOPE IN NIGERIA'S DEMOCRACY

The change of tune in the politics of Nigeria has immensely reshuffle the dancing structure of the key players and the usual path of the democratic practice in the country. The current happenings in the politics play and governance indicates that the country is moving towards another direction from its usual and long practiced system of governance. The alarming question however is, what path is the country steering to? The path of progress, success and democratic development or the other way round?

For the past few months there has been a kind of political and administrative drama within the government and its organs, political parties, government agencies, organizations and other concern individuals ranging from open letters, unveiling of corrupt practices, political party cross carpeting, bills controversy and pressure movements. Could these mean that Nigerians are awake from the long sleep to realize and respond to the existing political reality surrounding them or could it be part of a great conspiracy geared by interest against the present government?Even though the latter may have some elements of truth, the former is however more realistic as some of the blows are thrown free of any political acceleration but by the exigencies of time which has awaken the spirit of true democracy within Nigerians. As in the words of Francois Rabelais, a French writer, doctor and a humanist; that “it is my feeling that time ripens all things; with time all things are revealed; time is the father of truth.”

The uprising of another strong political party All People’s Congress (APC) to stand against the long ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has indeed led to some kind of political rivalry, competition and criticism which to some extent will pave a way to a healthy democracy as both political party’s are trying to show their capability to serve right the democracy Nigerians have been longing for quite long.The reaction of Nigerians to the recent crisis in the aviation sector of the country is indeed a pointer as to how Nigerians are craving for true democracy. Kudos to the whistle blower of the abuse of office by the former minister of aviation, Mrs. Stella Oduah. Kudos to people like Femi Falana, SAN and other concern Nigerians who refused to blind their sight to the unwarranted action of the former minister. This event was only to be followed again with another discovery of the former ministers false claim of obtaining a Masters degree from a U.S University who equally refuted same. The above facts coupled with so many pressure on the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has seen the former minister out of office on the 12th February, 2014 together with 3 other ministers. We hail Mr. President for that.

Nigerians are however still waiting with kin interest and a great suspense on the possible action Mr. President plans to take regarding a whistle blown by the CBN Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. Ever since the issue of the missing $20 Billion was unfolded, neither the President nor any of the federal government agency with the appropriate responsibility like the EFCC and ICPC has taken any step to trace the root and the actual status of the fund.I quote Mr. President from page 10 of the This Day newspaper of 13thFebruary, 2014 as saying; “ICPC and EFCC must make Nigerians believe that they are working. I know what you are doing but not everybody knows what you are doing. Ordinarily, these are agencies whose activities are not suppose to be made too loud because you don’t celebrate a situation where you send 100 0r 200 Nigerians to prison.”I believe Nigerians have every right and are indeed suppose to know the activities of the said agencies with results. That at least will give them peace of mind. The declaration by the EFCC that it will make it result on Oduah’s case sounds encouraging. So there is no point saying the activities of the above agencies are not suppose to be made too loud because Nigerians need results.

Perhaps, Mr. President should cast his mind as to the trust and confidence Nigerians have on him and equally the promise and Oath he has taken to the effect that he will discharge his duties to the best of his ability, faithfully and in accordance with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. That he will not allow his personal interest to influence his official conduct or his official decisions.