Govt Must Protect Youths Rights

Tunde Esho, national secretary of Nigerian Sovereign Youth Congress, is an author, accountant, motivational speaker. In this interview, he speaks on youth empowerment, security and other issues

Tell us about yourself. 

I hail from Osun State, southwest Nigeria. I am the author of the book, African Security Solution, I’m the publisher of Jubel magazine, a political scientist, an accountant, a public relations and public management expert. A guest speaker in many seminars, a motivational speaker with plethora of leadership skills. I have been the national secretary of Nigerian Sovereign Youth Congress since 2007 and the Lagos State deputy chairman of the Institute of Public Management since 2010. A prolific writer with over 40 published articles to his credit in both local and national dailies. I am versatile on both national and international issues and a news/feature reporter with The Guardian Newspaper.

What is the book, African Security Solution, about? 

The book is a practical discussion offering solutions in a pragmatic approach to everyday social, economic, political and development issues plaguing Africa. These same issues and inequalities are the very foundation of insecurity in the continent.  The book is good for Africans and the rest of the world to ensure peace, unity and progress in the world.

What motivated you to write the book? 

Firstly, about five years ago, I had returned to university to complete my courses after my due years of graduation and I had just two courses to complete which made me very busy with writing articles on both national and international problems. I was reading through the newspapers one of those days when I came across former President Olusegun Obasanjo African Youth Essay competition on “African human security: A youthful perception”, which I participated in. I later discovered that my essay could be converted to a book. Having that in mind, I joined the Advert department of The Guardian newspapers a year later and took the essay to Saturday Desk editor, Felix Abugu, for editing after which he encourage me to join in reporting for his desk if I could write so well. He directed me to the political editor to help edit my book but because the person he asked me to meet was too busy, he couldn’t edit the book and I later joined the desk. Two years after I met with Pa Bayode Ogunmupe who edited the book and pointed out just two errors and encouraged me to published the book but I couldn’t do so until few months ago.

Secondly, when I woke in the morning on that fateful day, I was so ill that I couldn’t ride my car and I had to walk to the bus stop to buy pineapple fruit and  while I was bargaining with the seller, I started vomiting. She then advised me to go her shop and buy Maltina and drink to get little energy which I did. While I was still with the elderly woman that sold the drink to me, about 20 hoodlums  came in with cutlasses and a gun and began to beat me. This was at Jakande Estate, Isolo, Lagos. It was God that saved my life, they removed about N20,000 from my pocket. I later found out that there was a supremacy fracas among motor park touts the previous day. I then thought if I don’t act fast, the next victim might lose his or her life. I decided to publish the book I have kept for so long. Apart from the fact that, innocent people are being killed in Africa daily and it a big burden on me as a youth coordinator.

How many months or years did it take you to write the book? 

I wrote the book three times in four years. My first attempt was 10 days, second attempt was three weeks and the third attempt was two weeks before the publication.

How do you think we can solve the problem of insecurity in Africa? 

I have proposed e-policing, the involvement of community leaders, youth coordinators and through youth empowerment by situating youth centres all over the continent where the youths can lodge complaints and get skill acquisition that will engage them and put them off criminal tendencies.

Fix electricity in Africa, then you have employed 75 per cent of the youths; there will be massive industrialisation and the youths will be totally engaged and  security problems will be reduced and there will be economic growth in the continent.

Insecurity is one of the major problems arising from political instability militating against the growth of the nations in the continent.  For instance, the internal crises in various African countries like  Somalia, Sudan, Congo and Central Africa Republic where growth and development have been stagnated for so long because crises.

The youths are mostly engaged in any criminal acts because they are not empowered through skill acquisition, seminars and involvement in policy making. The governments of the day refuse to integrate them. We must be mindful who we vote for as our leaders because that will eventually determine our standard of living.

The task of rebuilding Africa is in the hands of both the government and the governed, which constitute the civil society. Since security is paramount to the existence of any country, the government which is the body saddled with the administration of the state will play a major role in ensuring the security of the youths in all ramifications, be it physical, social, economic, educational and career security.

To achieve these, the leaders should ensure good governance by drawing up and implementing policies which are pertinent to the protection and well-being of the youths. The government should build capacity to maintain law and order by equipping the police and other law enforcement agencies. They should also strengthen  mechanisms for conflict prevention, management and resolution. African leaders should show more commitment to the promotion and protection of the rights of the youths as stipulated in their various constitutions. There should be avenues for the youths to seek redress in the law courts when their rights are abused.

More so, the government should introduce youth integration initiatives by promoting the role of the youths in socio-political and economic policy-making in order to give them a say and a sense of belonging in shaping their future. African governments should endeavour to empower the youths through education, economic, social and political opportunities in order to secure their careers and aspiration in life.

The youths whose security is being endangered  have a part to play in addressing that problem. There is need for African youths to be politically conscious by participating in political activities which shape their status in the society. They should be involved in elections to ensure that leaders who have their interest at heart are elected. Furthermore, the youths should take their destiny in their hands by assisting the law enforcement institutions to address issues relating to their security.

Together, we can make Africa, our fatherland, a continent of our dream.