Develop yourselves for leadership, Saraki’s aide tells youths

MR Douglas Osagie, a Legislative Aide to Senate President, Bukola Saraki has advised Nigerian youths to develop themselves for leadership positions.

Osagie, who is Saraki’s Senior Aide on Legislative Matters and Strategy, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.

He said the youths should contribute their quota to fast-track development at various levels of governance through leadership.

Osagie said youths had the potential to drive the needed positive change that Nigerians were yearning for.

“I believe that the young ones should be prepared for leadership positions.

“All over the world, there is a generational shift whereby the young ones who are able to work hard and understand the rudiments of governance are given leadership positions.

“I think in Nigeria, the clamour for young people to get involved in politics is very good because the generation that we are now is a fast thinking one ’’ he said.

According to him, young people constitute about 60 per cent of the active Nigerians that can bring innovation to solve some of the problems we have in Nigeria.

“If we have innovative smart thinking young people in leadership positions, we won’t be having some of the problems we have right now in the country because those people making decisions for us are not really at par with the present generational shift,’’ he said.

When asked about the “Not Too Young To Run’’ Bill, Osagie said “the National Assembly has concluded its own part and the bill has been transmitted to the states.’’

He expressed dissatisfaction over the delay by some States’ Houses of Assembly in treating the bill while charging Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) at the state levels to get involved in pushing the bill through.

Osagie said the aggressive campaigns to get voter cards by the youth was impressive and should be sustained.

He said youths could galvanise developments at the grassroots if they push for accountability from public servants and demand implementation of the budget.

On corruption, he advised the youth to improve their moral standards as the society would not entrust responsibilities on those who have not improved their status as human beings irrespective of age.

NAN recalls that the “Not Too Young To Run’’ bill was passed by the Senate on July 26, 2017.