Scholars, activists and other distinguished Nigerians have stressed the need to groom new leaders that would restore Nigeria back to the path of greatness.
They submitted that the country had been, over the years, confronted with the dearth of good leaders who are selfless as the Sage and former Premier of defunct Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
These were their submissions during the 2018 ‘Awo Conversations’ in commemoration of the birthday anniversary of Chief Obafemi Awolowo with the theme ‘The Youth and Nigeria’s Leadership Question: The Awo Example’, held at the Efunyela Hall, Awolowo’s residence in Ikenne-Remo.
The ‘Awo Conversations’ is the second in series organized by the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation with the aim of projecting the leadership qualities of the Sage in building a new Nigeria.
The programme was chaired by a renowned historian, Professor Banji Akintoye and moderated by a political scientist and lecturer at the Babcock University, Ilishan Remo, Dr. Jumoke Yacob-Haliso.
The key participants at the event were the Founder/CEO, Rise Network, Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji; the Executive Director, Stefanos Foundation, Mark Lipdo; the President. Arewa Youth Forum, Yerima Shettima; a political scientist, Dr. Ngozi Nwogwugwu and a poet and author, Mr. Adedara Oduguwa.
They were of the opinion that any youth who desired to be a leader must possess strong determination like Awolowo who as young man determined to become a journalist, a lawyer and a politician.
They argued that vision and passion remained the only drive that could take them to a level where they desired in life.
Welcoming the audience, the Executive Secretary, Obafemi Awolowo Foundation, Dr. Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu, said the ‘Awo Conversations’ was aimed at developing best characteristics of leadership in Nigerian youths.
Awolowo Dosumu who is the Chairman, African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc, said that the theme for this year’s edition was carefully picked to encourage the nation’s youths on the need to take up leadership positions at all levels of governance as the 2019 general elections draw in.
The former Ambassador to the Netherlands noted that all could not assume leadership positions, however, contended that it is the responsibility of all Nigerians to elect the right people for good governance.
She urged the youths not to see the current yearning for more youths in leadership positions as a way of “shortcut” in accessing political power which they considered as a way of making stupendous wealth.
Awolowo Dosumu further said programmes like the ‘Awo Conversations’ would serve as an avenue for the Nigerian youths to make informed choices, so as to be adequately equipped with the mindset and skills to would make the country to manifest her destiny.
“It has been generally recognized that one of the greatest challenges facing Nigeria, and, indeed, African countries today, is the dearth of good leadership. The Obafemi Awolowo Foundation has, therefore, instituted various initiatives to encourage, recognize, reward and celebrate excellence in leadership.
Being Awolowo’s child comes as a package —Tokunbo Awolowo Dosumu
“In furtherance of the Foundation’s leadership project, which includes initiatives aimed at fostering the best characteristics of leadership in Nigerian youths, we have instituted a programme titled ‘Awo Conversations’.
“We believe that a clearer understanding and deeper knowledge of the Awo concept will assist new and aspiring leaders to chart the much-desired course to the national development of the which will, in turn, rebound to the greatest good for the greatest number of Nigerians.
“These ‘conversations’ are designed to afford the opportunity for in-depth interrogation of the various aspects of leadership, particularly as exemplified by Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
” Clearly, we cannot all be leaders. But we all share the responsibility for choosing the right people to lead us and administer the government, at all levels, on our behalf. This Is a sacred duty and an inalienable right that most Nigerians appear to have given up in recent times. The truth is that unless this is taken back, our democracy will continue to flounder.
“Nigeria youths, due to no fault of their own but, rather, due to faulty educational curricula, have been denied the opportunity to learn about their nation’s history. They have, as a result, been denied the opportunity to glean those lessons from the past that can be applied to the present in order to create a better future.
“They have, also, been denied the inspiration, sense of dignity and belief in their own capacity for greatness that knowledge of their illustrious forebears would, naturally, confer upon them. All of these constraints diminish their ability to make informed choices in electoral politics, particularly.
“Universally, the youth, quite naturally, are prone to be in a hurry to achieve results. It is called youthful exuberance.They are tempted to opt for shortcuts in many of life’s endeavours. As a matter of fact, some may even be tempted to see the current campaign for youthful leadership as some kind of shortcut, an opportunity to gain access to power, which they consider synonymous with stupendous wealth, early enough to enjoy the spoils in their prime.
“The need for Nigerians to make informed choices assumes unprecedented importance at this time in our journey to nationhood. All discerning minds agree that, right now, we stand at the threshold of history.
“Indeed, we stand at a critical conjuncture where choosing the right road will lead us to the Nigeria of our dreams, the Nigeria that was envisioned by our illustrious forebears-united, strong, prosperous and acclaimed, ” she noted.
For Professor Banji Akintoye, said Awolowo as a young man had a strong determination to serve his people and therefore advised the youths who were largely the participants at the programme to brace up for the task ahead.
Akinloye, a Second Republic member of the National Assembly, lamented the increase in the number of young Nigerians fleeing the country for better life, due to bad leadership in their fatherland.
The Professor of History said the time has come for the youths to take over from the crop of leaders in the country for a greater and better Nigeria, adding that the country could become the “Black Man World Power of Modern Time.’
He appreciated the Foundation for keeping Awo’s legacies alive, describing the Sage as a selfless leader whose attributes must be imbibed by the youths.
Akintoye noted that one of the inner strength of the South Western part of the country was the free education initiated by the Awo’s government, wondering why the government could no longer offer free education.
“Things are bad because nobody is providing for the youths. Nigerian youths are suffering. Go to every part of the country and see how they are suffering. This is your country. You have a duty to stand up and take your country back from the present generation of leaders.
Oduguwa submitted that Obafemi Awolowo knew what he wanted to be early in life and pursued his desires with strong determination.
He explained that Awolowo had goals and pursued it with what he described as ‘definiteness of purpose’, advocating for a change of attitude on the part of the nation’s youths.
He said that Awolowo remained the most celebrated political figure in the political history of Nigeria.
Oduguwa who authored a book titled ‘ Chief Obafemi Awolowo: The Political Moses’ said the Sage recorded great success as a businessman, politician and an advocate of good education.
He explained that Awo strived to thrive as an individual and still remained a reference point even in death 31 years after.
While Nwogwugwu said that Nigerians would continue to cherish the legacies of the Sage in the area of education and infrastructural development.
He appealed to the Nigerian youths to always do the right thing at right time for a positive change the country desired.
The don called for a synergy among the youth in turning around the fortune of the country, maintaining that the “Not-Too-Young-To-Rule Bill” was a good idea.
Nwogwugwu said, ” There is a need for leadership training, a platform to train the young ones for leadership skills. Young Nigerians can successfully administer this country like what we have in France and Liberia.”
On his part, Lipdo wondered the kind of change and transformational development that would have happened to the country if Awolowo was given the opportunity to administer the country.
While Mrs. Akerele-Ogunsiji opined that the educational system being offered in the country are not competitive enough.
She advised the Nigerian youths to replace irresponsible leaders with good ones saying that the generation after that of the Sage is “money minded” generation.
Akerele-Ogunsiji urged the youths to hold their leaders accountable and that the leaders are not concerned with the future of the country while Shettima said that the Northern parts of Nigeria are the worst hit in terms of bad leadership.
He equally advocated for a new Nigeria, calling for unity of purpose among other parts of the country.
Shetimma appreciated Awolowo for liberating the South West with the free education policy.
In their goodwill messages former governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko and former member of the National Assembly, Senator Femi Okurounmu both urged the youths to have passion and drive it.
Mimiko advised them to cultivate the habit of reading to acquire knowledge than engaging themselves in programmes that would add no value their lives.
He said, “Being youth itself is nor a qualification for leadership. That’s what I call misguided youth thinking. It’s almost becoming an ideology in Nigeria. For you to be a leader, you must have a clear vision and your vision will be borne out of your experiences and your knowledge.
” And having gotten your vision, you must have the passion to drive it. You must have the determination. You must be clear and you must be ready to make a sacrifice to actualise your vision. Nobody will serve your leadership on a plate as if they are serving you dinner. You got to work and fight for it.
” I had the vision to be governor; I was determined. I was commissioner, I resigned and said I wanted to run. I resigned as commissioner, I tried, I didn’t get it. I was made a minister. With all the paraphernalia of being a federal minister, against the will of my boss, I resigned and said I wanted to be governor and I became governor.
“Yes, Awo is physically dead but his ideas will live forever. Go and read Awolowo’s exposé on restructuring. This is the centre stage of our discourse today. When you read, you will hardly have anything to add. You just wonder way back in the 40s, somebody had this type of vision.
“He espoused and there is nothing to add; that in a multinational country like Nigeria, in a country of ethnic and cultural diversity that we can never develop under a unitary constitution. He thought and espoused all the principles of federalism. Many years after, that is what we are coming to. That is Awolowo, the visionary. Young men and women, I wish that you read more and learn more.
“Your generation, the Big Brother Generation, please you know you are what you know. Readers are leaders, leaders are readers. Spend less time in Premier League, empower yourself with knowledge, you cannot lead if you don’t know that your follower. Go back to the books.”
While Okurounmu lamented the present crop of leaders administering the country had failed Nigerians.
“Nigeria has become a hell for young people. There is no hell that is hotter than Nigeria and that is why the youths are fleeing by their hundreds of thousands. They cannot survive in Nigeria.
“All the legacies they should have inherited have all been bastardized. Even the free education system which is the greatest legacy of Chief Obafemi Awolowo has been bastardized in many of our states in Western Region.
“That is why we must try to change the ways in Nigeria. The way they run Nigeria, there is no future for the youth and no future for the country itself. And the youth have a greater stake in tomorrow. All of us will soon die. But tomorrow belongs to the youth.
“The youth have a stake in the future of Nigeria and that’s why as the chairman of the occasion has said, you must take back your country.
Live exemplary lives, build solid legacies like the Awolowos, cleric charges Nigerians
“This country belongs to you. The future belongs to you. There must be a complete paradigm shift in governance. Governance cannot continue the way it is today. This is where the Awolowo example is very relevant.
“Awolowo was in his 30s when he founded Egbe Omo Oduduwa and he was in his 40s when he became the Premier of the old Western Region. In fact, all the great things he achieved in the Western Region, he had achieved before he was 50. You don’t have to be an old man before you have wisdom.
“Today, you need political parties that are infused with youths. All these existing politicians, the big politicians still come home and you hail them; you make heroes out of thieves. You have to stop that. The youths must take over governance,” he added.
and then