A leading presidential aspirant of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Senator Anyim Pius Anyim has said that if elected President of Nigeria in 2023, his government would be majorly driven by the youth.
Ayim said his government would redefine leadership before the Nigerian youth, so that after they have had proper knowledge of leadership, they can champion their energy properly.
While receiving delegations from the Youth Democratic Movement of Nigeria (YDMN) in his office in Abuja, led by its Coordinator, Comrade Christmas Olajide the former Secretary to the government of the Federation said he believes in the strength and capacity of Nigerian youth because he was elected Senator at the age of 37 and became the President of the Senate at 39 years.
He said his decision to include more youth in his government was borne out of the fact that Nigerian youth are full of potential and strength to drive the government and the economy.
“First I will redefine leadership before the Nigerian youth, now having a proper meaning of leadership they will now be in a position to know how to champion their energy and channel their energy.
“The problem we have today is why everybody is seeking political office as the only channel of leadership that is available because we have destroyed the middle class.
“We have to reinvent this country, we have to reposition Nigeria, we have to refocus it, and by the time I set out on this course, in the first one year, everybody will see the difference.
“I will make every Nigerian youth have self confidence that they have something inside them the world needs to see, and they will aspire to get to where the world will see it.
“We have so much to do, and I will get Nigerian youth to realise that we need to refocus our country and get it right, and by that, we will secure the future of the younger ones. I will work with then Nigerian youth to secure the future of our country”
“The truth is that it is better and more productive to work with younger people, I have seen it work, I was young”, he said.
Senator Anyim said he had already identified individuals including youth to work with when elected as president, therefore in two weeks after inauguration, he would appoint his cabinet and economic team.
“I will set up my administration in 2 weeks, the human resource in Nigeria is enormous, you don’t need a satellite to identify them, you just put the right criteria in place, and you harvest them. It is not after the election I will start looking for people, I know people to work with”.
On education, the presidential aspirant said he would rebase the educational system and ensure that he reactivated technical education so that students can freely choose the type of education they want to acquire.
“I will rebase the educational system and make provision for everybody. We will plan the system to be responsive to society. When that is done, you will find out that most people will not need the universities, they can get to somewhere they are done and they will be very productive.
“If we have a system that works and an economy that thrives, you will find out that those who do not go to university (technicians) will even be more rewarded for their work than graduates. I will put in place policies to mainstream the youth and women into national development. We will have a policy that will make women boldly aspire”, he added.