Need for responsible leadership

Every successful nation attaches more importance to the growth and development to its youths. The deliberate determination of a nation to upgrade the lives of its youths must be a major concern of the leaders, but in Nigeria, reverse seems to be the case.

Nigerian leaders do not show concern for the well being of its entire citizenry. The future leaders are the youths, who are expected to serve, protect and rule the nation. They hardly celebrate cherished societal values. We grew up believing the saying that the youths are the leaders of tomorrow, as a promise of hope and some sort of assurance of a better tomorrow.

In Nigeria, the government has been designed by only the leaders of previous years; rule by the geriatric. As we all know that since when we were in primary school, we all changed the song that “we are the leaders of tomorrow”, but it was a fantasy and fallacy; only the gullible will still believe the deceptive words.

In the same vein, Nigerian youths are not lazy; the issue of unemployment is the major source of problem which has eaten deep into the bone marrow of Nigerian societies. It has become every youth’s nightmare. It is no longer about going to school and graduating with good grades or learning a trade; but about how to face the reality of graduating and joining the chain of the unemployed youths.

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It is worthy of note that our politicians do not represent us instead, they represent their pockets. Our politicians are too extravagant; they lavish our treasuries on white elephant projects; instead of the youths to contribute to the national development, they are being used for destructive activities by the politicians.

It is high time for the youths to wake up from their slumber and take their rightful place in the nation-building. The 2019 general election is close; the geriatric leaders should give rooms for the youths to rule because the youths are no more the leaders of tomorrow but readers of today. We need new, younger, talented and energetic Nigerians to rule our Nation for better development.

Yusuf Alhaji Yusuf,

Kwara State