The Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, on Monday, tasked youths in the state to adopt a diplomatic approach to handling societal issues rather than conforming to the old ways in driving home their demands.
He gave the task at the maiden edition of Comrade Dinner and Award Night put together by Owis Event alongside the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) held in Benin City.
Shaibu, who stated how he developed an interest in politics, said that the era of barricading the roads in protest should be over as there could be other ways they can still make their presence known on issues that bother the wellbeing of Nigerians by activating their consciousness.
“For us to have an egalitarian society, all comrades must activate that consciousness in them. We must stop to lament for lamentation is not our portion.
“I became a politician courtesy of an engagement that I had with the late Bola Ige. While we were accusing him of joining Obasanjo’s government, we said we were going to de-comrade him and that, why must he join Obasanjo’s government?
“In one of those conversations, he invited us for a discussion to explain why he has to join Obasanjo’s government.
“That discussion changed my thinking. That was the day I made up my mind that I am going to go into secular politics.
“And he said, young men, I know your bodies are hot and I know your bodies are really scratching you to fight.
“When you scratch your body the way it scratches you, you will injure yourself and meet blood but the method must change now.
“During the military, we engaged our leaders at the level of barricades but now, we have transited from that era of militancy to an era of democracy where the people you are now engaging with are elected by the people and not the military that superimposed himself.
“So, if you say a democratically elected government that we have been struggling to have, we should not participate in it, you are indirectly telling us that you do not want good people to go into politics.
“He said, if good people consistently refused to be in politics because they say it is dirty, dirty people will continue to rule over us and good people will continue to lament.
“So, which do we choose? Do we encourage good people to be in for us not to lament or do we encourage bad people to continue to exist and the good people continue to lament? That statement actually changed my orientation,” Shaibu said.
The deputy governor further admonished them to strive to build institutions that work rather than building individuals.
“An average comrade wants a system that works. Our charge as comrades is to have an institution that works, to build an institution and not to build individuals.
“When you build an individual, you build a Superman but when you build institutions, you have a system that works for you and that is the way to go,” Shaibu said.
Earlier, the chairman Advisory board of Comrade Dinner and Award Night, Comrade Salami David, said the event was conceived and birthed out of the resolute request to celebrate the monumental strides that have been produced by the student comradeship.
He added that the ceremony is not to ego-fit any of them but it is to spur them into doing more for the student community.
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