Imagine a tree without a trunk then you will get to appreciate the place of the youths in the scheme of nation building.
Youths represent the young at heart, that restless, resonant and eccentric group in whom the human power of transcendence is most abundantly disturbed.
Youths signify the stage of transition and transformation towards self- emancipation and self- regeneration.
Youths depict that tenacious and boisterous bunch noted for the zeal of adventure.
The minds of the youth represent the fertile ground for the cultivation of germane ideas for societal reformation and environmental transformation They are the torchbearers in who lies the future of the nation.
They represent the umbilical cord that connects the past to the future.
It is in the youth that the follies of the past are ameliorated in order to forestall a recurrence in the future.
A nation peopled by vibrant youths is one hopeful for brighter tomorrow.
Nevertheless, we warn that these transcendent qualities outlined above that constitute the sources of confidence, if not properly harnessed for growth and development, have the tendency of degenerating into sources of security.
Insecurity in turn manifests in the forms of corruption, indolence, ineptitude, immorality, lack of patriotism, disobedience, indiscipline, disloyalty and dishonesty; vicious factors that have continuously plagued our nation.
Needless to say, insecurity looms large in the heart of Nigerian youths such that a seeming state of anarchy hovers over the nation.
Nigerian youths are restless and this stems from the fact that a large number of them are unemployed.
Nigerian youths are agitated; they are fast becoming impatient with the state of things in the nation.
In a seeming state of hopelessness they seek succor in violence as a veritable means of expression.
Does it then surprise us that in the six geo-political zones of the nation, youths have teamed up their strength to form ethnic militia groups with the singular aim of fighting what they conceive as obvious injustice? In the Northern part of Nigeria, youths attempt to re-enact the terror of the Taliban.
Should restlessness be allowed to dominate the psyches of Nigerian youths? One wonders how they will be able to contend with the leadership challenges of tomorrow let alone gather the stamina and the wisdom required for tackling the accumulated problems of the past? Does the future not look bleak for a nation who leaves a large number of her youths in disarray? Now is the time to begin to think out ways of ameliorating that chaos at hand.
The intensity of this statement lies in the fact that a nation whose youths witness insecurity and hopelessness in the depth of their beings is worse than a tree without a trunk.
A tree without a trunk is unimaginable, but since we have compared the society to a generational tree, it would be disastrous to let bitterness dominate the psyches of our youths.
To do so will be tantamount to raising a group of vandals who instead of consolidating on the sweat of their predecessors would like locust, ravage, plunder and completely destroy whatever is bequeathed to them.
The truth however, is that leadership is no easy task.
In the first place, leadership is a call to duty.
By this is meant that leadership entails responsibility and accountability to the people and the nation.
These imperatives would not be possible if the leaders in question do not possess certain salient key qualities such as prudence, wisdom, honesty, discipline, diligence, meekness, tolerance, courage, forethought, transparency, initiative insight and imaginative visioning.
The leaders of any society must as a matter of fact possess great spiritual stamina and iron determination to remain dogged and steadfast necessary for surmounting vicissitudes.
It entails the fortitude and the ingenuity to turn adversities to advantages.
Leadership entails the mental capacity for organization and the will to remain resolute in order to ensure equity, fairness, balance and cohesion in our daily transactions through the disbursement of resources guided by dynamic state policies.
Leadership entails the resolution to be committed to the oath of office and the duties of our fatherland.
Above all, leadership entails the prudence and the wisdom to transform men and reconstruct society by levitating people and state to loftier levels of existence.
Leadership is no doubt a daunting task and this is evident in the intimidating credentials displayed above.
But we expect no more and no less of anyone who aspires to be a leader.
To do otherwise would mean the enthronement of mediocrity.
Needless to say, the task of leadership is more herculean for the youths on who rests the responsibility of transforming the society for the better.
However, the task of societal transformation could only be made possible by the aid of a profound system of education.
Unfortunately, after 50 years of national independence, Nigeria cannot boast of a sound educational system based on pure philosophical, scientific and secular orientation.
It is most disheartening that in an age when mankind has soared into space in order to gain an almighty vision and keep constant vigilance over world affairs, Nigeria (like other Africa countries) still operate the colonial/missionary system of education that promises nothing but a bleak future for Africa as a whole.