By: Ahmad Opeyemi Ahmad
Fellow Kwarans, all of my political life I have been a staunch opposition of Saraki and whatever it has to offer. But the problems facing us today go beyond all sorts of partisanship. We must tear the wall of sentiment and separation and begin to see individuals for what they are. For altruism speaks no one language, to foster it we must risk a lot of things, such as our ego, our sentiment and we must -albeit for a while- forgo our differences and come together. We must also destroy the frontiers that have been grounding us. Freedom and progress know no boundary and time is waiting for no one.
Youths are arguably the hottest matter of debates in nowadays. We have been subjected to all sorts of misinformation as well as misrepresentation. Our skills, intelligence, wit, dexterity and adroitness are left behind bars. In spite of our full understanding of the problems facing us, we have become a mere subject of sanitation not to be entertained in the power corridor. Some part of people have been telling us, youths, to wait for our time and not to steal other men’s show. While some others are telling us to remain mere supplementary to the ruling circle. Well, they are not incorrect, politically speaking.
As time goes on, these old men and women will go away and become history, then the coast will be clear for us the young men and women of today. Although young implies engertic, agile, handy, dexterous, sublime and resilient set of people, does any of us think that word will still befit us in the next 20-30 years to come. If not, how long, then, will it take before the energetic and brilliant men coming behind us began to agitate that we steer clear of the government affairs? If old age means wisdom and foresight, does it mean youths are too short of productivity to attend to nation building in this country? Was it not these old men of today who, when they were young, run this country and kept it together to where it is today? And it now seems the more we have them come back, the more these countries fall apart.
For too many times, we have become the victim of elders appointing elders to run our affairs for us, elders getting too sick to run the government affairs and elders dying while running the affairs. It makes it all the more look like Africa is a mere den of Robert Mugabes. This phenomenon poses a striking challenge to us and why can’t we have Kabilas and Macrons?
In the run up to the last election, I was made to see the person of Ambassador AbdulFatai Yahaya Seriki Gambari. Which aspect of this man can we explore? Is it that of his peace expertise? Is it his tolerance, humility or open door policy? Not to mention his numerous moral and financial support to all and sundry. A young self-made Entrepreneur with vast experience in various representation both home and abroad. He has alot of humanitarian gestures to his credit across the globe, before he finally returns to his home state insisting that with OR without public position, his people must be beneficiaries of what he had gain of wealth. And that is more reason his people, particularly the youths of Kwara state are earnestly yearning for him to take a shot in leadership via public position.
As a matter of fact, I care less about his being a giver, I care for his skills and free mind that has helped him entertain different collections of people from different backgrounds. Talk of peace, talk of conflict resolution, talk of security, talk of economy and talk of leadership traits, exactly as we need all these in our society today. Seriki, in simpler terms, is the embodiment of all that.
Seriki is our only option today. He is the only unifying factor between all folks in the state irrespective of party affiliation or divides. As far as I’ve gauged the situation on the social media and everywhere I am permitted to listen to the youths of this state, Seriki remains theonly person who the youths of both sides have agreed upon as a good man. I shall not claim that there are no attempts to discredit him, but I doubt if myself or any of my colleagues has seen any. And if there be one, I claim loosely that it shall hold no water.
Make the math, within every electioneering there is four years interval, and if we lose it this time again and in so doing lose our way of getting to power, we the youth, may remain adjunct to the rulers of today forever. Avoid noises that bear no fruit. Seriki is a young man of valour, skill, honour, intelligence and decisiveness. And when a man has humanitarian services speaking loud on his behalf, his wealth of knowledge, responsiveness and experience should just be enough for him to lead us on the road to Damascus.
The bottom line: Support Seriki in whatever he aspires for. A support for him is a support for the youth agenda.
#NotTooYoungToRun
Comrade Ahmad Opeyemi Ahmad is a Kwara born Public Analyst based in Abuja