Let us answer this clarion call, to elect a new order of leadership in our country that would move the country forward

Ugo K. Muoh

As we inch closer to Nigeria’s upcoming elections in 2019, we the youths of this country must reasonably decide who we ought to entrust the leadership of our great nation. Our generation of Nigerians must ensure that a new order of leadership is ushered into the governance of our country. This new order of leadership should be centered on a manifesto, intelligence, responsive governance, accountability to the people, and innovative ideas.

READ ALSO: Only proper accountability ’ll secure youths future – Buhari

Taking into account the imminent transition into another four-year dispensation of democratic rule in Nigeria by 2019, it is important that we continually think of how we should reshape our Nigeria. If we do not begin now to position men and women who have their right-thinking cap on, and who are of unimpeachable character and integrity, we run the risk of losing the hard-fought democracy and the nation won by our past leaders such as Herbert Macaulay, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Tafawa Balewa, Ahmadu Bello, and Obafemi Awolowo of years bygone. We must stand up and continually challenge the status quo in the leadership of our country and address the vacuum often left by unresponsive leadership.

Lest we forget, Nigeria as a country is like a ship facing turbulent waters and as such requires a captain with very capable hands to pilot it away from the storms ahead. Ominously, a Brookings Report released earlier this year declared that oil-rich Nigeria holds the largest number of extremely poor people in the world overtaking India, a country almost eight times its population. According to the report, Nigeria now has 87 million people living in extreme poverty compared to the 73 million in India.

That this is the current situation we find ourselves in 2018, is a harbinger of what is ahead of us, if we do not course correct in elevating a new order for leadership in our dear country. The blame game must stop. Instead of having this current leadership of our country who would rather obfuscate and question the methodology and timeliness of the report, a more responsive government would embark on a whole scale analysis on the how and why our economic indices have become so bleak thereby impoverishing so much of our people. Hence, a reworking of our corporate system as a country to add a more innovative problem-solving mechanism, while introducing a new dimension in requirements for our elected leaders is overdue as we approach the end of this decade.

READ ALSO: Primordial republicanism, stereotypism and Igbo leadership syndrome (2)

One thing is certain, we must awaken and start from somewhere. Having long-term goals as individuals, as a collective, as a society, and as a country is imperative in forging our path away from the rot in our current system. According to Albert Einstein, “The leader is one who, out of the clutter, brings simplicity…”

Related News

Out of discord, harmony… And out of difficult, opportunity.” Let us vote for leaders that are accountable to the people, those that understand that the society is beyond reach for so many people, and are ready to ameliorate the fact that countless people work so hard for so long with so little to show for it, due to lack of opportunities.

Whereas only a few people end up enjoying the available opportunities, it would take a new order of leadership that we should enthrone to change the situation for the better. It is such a leadership that would discern that the majority of our youths have the potential to succeed if given the chance.

Let us keep in mind that in a multi-ethnic nation like ours, we must ensure that in selecting persons that fit into the mold of the new leadership order that we need, we should vote for candidates that are nationalistic and detribalized, devoid of nepotistic tendencies and are progressive in nature. As we delve deeper into the election cycle of 2019, we must examine the different candidates in the various states for councillorship seats, local government chairperson seats, state house assembly seats, senatorial seats, gubernatorial seats, and most importantly, the presidential seat. The position of the President in our country is very important because of how powerful the position is in our country’s political structure, hence our preferred candidate must exhibit traits we have required, in our new order of leadership manifesto.

All in all, in assessing the caliber of leaders that we want to elect to govern the affairs of our dear country, and in reclaiming our mandate as the future of Nigeria, we the youths must pick persons who exhibit proactive cognizance of the present reality of the nation. Such persons must have shown dedication working on problem-solving concepts, managing change and responding convincingly to complex, open-ended opportunities, and challenges as they arise.

Let us join hands together as youths to get rid of inept leadership and select leaders devoid of sentimentality. Let us answer this clarion call, to elect a new order of leadership in our country that would move the country forward, so that it takes its proper place in the comity of nations, as the giant of Africa, saddled with a buoyant economy and an entrenched democratic culture.

READ ALSO: Direct or indirect primaries, which is more democratic?

_________________________________

Muoh writes from Lagos