Never Before

Never has any serious attention been paid to the welfare or the feelings of youths anywhere in Nigeria. That should not be surprising anyway since the Federal Government appoints as Youth Minister someone who has never done as much as soiling his boots and worse still, state and local governments appoint the arrow-head of their ‘thuggery arm’ as Special Adviser on Youth Affairs. Thus Special Adviser on Youth Affairs becomes a synonym for ‘Chief Thug’.

You may argue this, or you may not believe it, but my profession keeps me more often so close to Nigerian ‘leaders’ to know that only a few of them remember youths once in a while and that is when they need the electorate to believe they are youth-loving.

A former Deputy Governor in this land once said to my hearing in a conversation with his boot-lickers, “Get me some youths. Buy them cannabis sativa (marijuana) and alcohol, and give them a little money. I know they would scatter the place.” That is what they think about youths. That is what they think of you, of me, of us. They have this evil, selfish hell-initiated thought about us as never-do-wells. More so, they egomaniacally believe that their generation is better than ours. Do you blame them? If you do, I don’t. Rather I blame us.

Ours is a much more talented generation, compared to theirs that was too ‘book-ish’. Success back then for most of them was premised on how educated they could get. Professions were not this congested back then, so the smart ones were blazing trails. Ours is a more competitive generation, where talent is not enough and smartness cannot go it alone. Because of this, so many youths look up to the successful older generation for answers and solutions that have never been forthcoming because they are too busy creating unworkable ‘policies’ , building their political parties and their nests. And don’t you bother about who will take over from them when they are old or no more. They see to it that their kids are well-schooled to do that, so schooled that you don’t stand a chance with them. If you are not careful, you will serve the children of those that your fathers have served, at whose tables our fathers have begged for crumbs.

To this end, we must not continue as thugs. We also must not be too far away, for the man that would change the system must be part of the system, rising through the ranks and learning even to find his way in the dark. Apart from sound education, smartness, hard work and talent, you must also have a sound self-education, perusing books and history day and night (for it is through this your mind can be developed and liberated), faith in Providence and learning at the feet of the best.

Martin Luther King Jnr once wrote,’Many people fear nothing more terribly than to take a position which stands out sharply and clearly from the prevailing opinion. The tendency of most is to adopt a view that is so ambiguous that it will include everything and so popular that it will include everybody’. The Annual Latin Essay competition at Cambridge was known throughout Britain and it was a thing of pride to win it. In 1785, the topic of the essay ‘Is it Lawful to Make Slave of Others Against Their Will?’ was prompted by a terrible act years before then. Near the end of a voyage from Britain through Africa to the West Indies, the captain of the British slave ship ‘Zong’ had ordered his crew to throw over-board to their deaths 133 chained black Africans. Till today, no one was prosecuted for the murder. A judge ruled that the death of the Africans were as though horses had died. Callous as this may sound, that was the prevailing view back then.

Moved by the event, the Vice Chancellor in charge chose the question ‘Is it Lawful to Make Slaves of Others Against their Will’ as the essay topic. 25-year-old Thomas Clarkson, who was a student at Cambridge at the time, entered for the competition. Clarkson, whose dream was to become a minister, had no knowledge of slavery, so he had to give himself to research and serious studying to come up with a good write-up. In the course of his researh, he was shocked with his findings, appalled by the sheer terror meted out to slaves and how people were forcefully wrenched from their families and lands and condemned to eternal slavery.

After coming tops in the essay competition, Thomas Clarkson was troubled. Troubled that only a few who had been dismissed as disgruntled elements and rabble-rousers were concerned about ending slave trade. He decided that someone must commit himself to the unpopular cause. He formed a group with eleven others and day and night they worked ceaselessly to bring to public knowledge the evils of slave trade. Of course, it was not easy, but Thomas Clarkson and his group never stopped until they saw the end of slavery. They were attacked, mobbed, disdained and ostracised, but in all this they found more strength.

With his oratory and persuasive prowess, Clarkson was able to convince a Member of Parliament, William Wilberforce. It was Wilberforce who pushed the agenda, spiced with facts and findings supplied by Thomas Clarkson, in parliament. Clarkson was the mobilizer, the fact-finder and the conscience of the movement. He translated his award-winning essay from Latin to English and doled it out country-wide. In 1807, his effort was rewarded when one of Wilberforce’s bills was approved by Parliament to outlaw slave trade. In 1833, Britain freed all the slaves within its realm and became a model in the abolition of slave trade.

By the time Thomas Clarkson died at the age of 86, he was an accomplished man who, spurred by an essay competition, had changed the world. But this feat can only be achieved with depth, self-motivation and commitment to success.

At a time when politicians are doling out money because of second term and/or future political interests, former Managing Editor of TheNEWS magazine and a Senator, Babafemi Ojudu, instituted an annual essay competition ‘iBOLD’ to ignite passion in Ekiti youths, passion about their land and about themselves, for it is only in venturing that you know how good you are. It was a good opportunity, but one disdained by many who felt and still feel it would not bring any political gains. Sadly enough, youths who were supposed to be part of the competition were also full of doubts and criticism. Even some of those who participated saw it as an opportunity to corner free coins and not as a lifetime chance to proffer solutions to some of the problems besetting their society.

This is why I blame us (youths). Here is a radical departure from what we have always known. Here is a politician who is sincerely concerned about youths, and not for any political gains. Here is a politician who does not want you as thugs and is not bothered about whether you are going to present his kids with a stiff competition in future, but would rather you excel side by side with his children.

‘Turning Ekiti Around: A New Generation Agenda’ was the topic for the first phase, while the on-the-spot writing has as topic ‘Effects of Fuel Subsidy Removal’ for the 20 most successful in the first phase. On Friday 24 February, prizes will be doled out at Abiodun Adetiloye Hall along Iyin road in Ado-Ekiti.

N500,000 and a laptop will go to the winner. First runners-up will smile home with N300,000 and a laptop. The third place winner gets N150,000 and a laptop. Fourth and fifth place winners will walk away with a laptop each.

Need I say that the whole idea of iBOLD is not about money, but a consciousness effort to give youths a meaningful voice and to develop writing and oratory skills in them, for these are added advantage for a leader and an aspiring one.

The Initiative of Babafemi Ojudu for Leadership Development (iBOLD) is a leadership centre that transcends essay writing. It is established to groom youths and to instill in them all the necessary ingredients for leadership. We may blame our leaders all we want, but if we don’t seize the opportunities granted by the reasonable few, in the end we will have ourselves to blame, serving those whose fathers our fathers served.

‘Many people fear nothing more terribly than to take a position which stands out sharply and clearly from the prevailing opinion. The tendency of most is to adopt a view that is so ambiguous that it will include everything and so popular that it will include everybody’. These are Martin Luther King Jnr’s words, words so apt that they describe the position taken by Senator Babafemi Ojudu in instituting the iBOLD Annual Student Challenge. Ours as youths is to key into the programme, encouraging politicians like Ojudu that their efforts at paying attention to youths’ well-being are appreciated.

—Dimeji Daniels