Immediately the glittery 43-man list Nigerians that have been eagerly waiting for about 55 days to see who are those strangers that would make up the list to sail the canoe of Buhari administration for four years, Nigerians with inclusion of youth, like custom, greeted the news of ministerial list that finally made it National Assembly July 23, 2019 for confirmation with smoke of criticisms that would perhaps wave with time.
Part of criticisms- Social medias were berated mostly by Nigerian youths for non-inclusion of a single youth in the List. Well, we should all blame President Muhammadu Buhari for not including youth in the ministerial list, for appointing strangers he is familiar with, for releasing a list termed as compensation list, for selecting, appointing and recycling some old cargoes. He should be blame because our #NotTooYoungToRun is running.
In fact, President Muhammadu Buhari should be held accountable for this; for allowing those aged people and elite class to vacate not the scene for youths/younger generation to come in; for not allowing us to be able hold those aged people accountable by fully participating in politics; for not paving way for most of our problems to be buried somewhere amongst us youths by creating the transformation we needed for a change; and for allowing those aged people not to pave way for ordinary patriotic youths who are willing to contribute immensely to Nation building.
Indeed, President Muhammadu Buhari is responsible for the fact that for donkey’s years, political arena in Nigeria have been occupied by aged people to the detriment of young people who are mostly restricted to the grassroots and platforms offered by the media. He is also responsible for this reality; that youths are often used as election consultants, political thugs (for those of us who are blessed with body-fit-for-farm) and social media battalions.
Yes! The President should be blamed and be criticized! Because our #NotTooYoungToRun is running. Or should we blame ourselves? After launching a campaign that history has it all and shows how lengthy youths have participated in different areas of politics, citing references of M.T. Mbu who became a Minister at the age of 25 and Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom at the age of 26. Maitama Sule who became Oil Minister at the age of 29. Sheu Shagari who became a Federal Legislator at the age of 30 and a Minister at the age of 35. Richard Akinjide who became a Minister of Education at the age of 32. Audu Ogbeh who was a Minister at the age of 35 and likes. Tell me, how to blame ourselves after this fact analysis?
Or should we even blame ourselves after campaigning that the crucial effects of youths in political participation cannot be over-emphasized? That it is an undeniable fact that youths are more useful and instrumental to national development and democratic advancement in Nigeria? Then how can we blame and criticise ourselves rather than those old cargoes?
Or should we blame our leader(s) of #NotTooYoungToRun? Especially, Senator of Sex Toys saga- Senator Elisha Abbo, the Senator representing Adamawa North Senatorial Zone, who at 41, during our #NotTooYoungToRun, became the youngest Senator in Nigeria: thereby making us happy as he was sworn in, that we are coming; that he just not represent his zone at the Senate; that he represent us as youths.
No, he as one of our leaders of #NotTooYoungToRun can’t be criticized at the instance ministerial list, because he is duly representing us- even for decades to come, perhaps, our #NotTooYoungToRun might be running, and we will always be at the corridor of political power.
Or are we not duly represented, for Abbo’s story being descended to gutter, for the story first broke by Cable News, and the released of a video that went viral. Senator Abbo has duly represent us by going out to buy sex toys with inamoratas termed as side-chicks, he has duly represent us by engaging in clash of words in public with a sale’s girl, he has duly represent us by reportedly slapping nursing woman, he has duly represent by making policeman accompanied by him to sex toys shop to arrest that nursing woman. In fact, he has duly represent us by admitting and apologizing to the victims and their family and Nigerians for his “five minutes” of rage induced action.
For sure, not only Senator Abbo is a case study at the instance of ministerial list, but us all- youths, with our engagement and involvement in spheres of political, economic, and religious saga and indeed, these have not only started ruining our #NotTooYoungToRun, but have made it run and keep making it running. Bye.
Hammed J. Sulaiman is a, satirist, essayist, writer, and campus-journalist, a student of Law from the Most Peaceful University in Nigeria, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto. He is a Poet/Writer/Veteran Journalist/Editor at Winsala Muses Ltd and Republican Online Newspaper, Nigeria and a Bona fide Member of UDUS Pen Press.
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