Not too young to run Bill and Kogi State

As Nigeria moves towards 2019, another election year, arguments
have started once again for the election of youthful men and women
to run the affairs of the nation at both the state and national
levels. The arguments are currently strengthened by moves by the
National Assembly to lower the eligibility age for various elective
positions across the country’s political space.

By the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, to qualify for the
presidency of the country, one must have attained the age of 40
years; 35 for the Senate and 30 for the House of Representatives.
For governorship, one must have attained the age of 35 years to be
eligible.

But recently, the National Assembly passed the Not Too Young to
Run Bill. By the provisions of that bill, Nigerian youths can now
contest the presidency at the age of 35 and governor or senators at
the age of 30.

The bill also stipulates that 25-year-old people can now
legislate in the national and state assemblies across the
country.
We acknowledge that the move by the National Assembly is the right
step in the right direction. At least, it would restore some level
of confidence in youths who are prepared to lead at different
levels of governance.

Nigerian youths must take the challenge thrown to them with all
the seriousness it deserves. We recall that most of today’s exiting
leaders who were thrown up by the pre-independence day struggles
and post-independence events up till 1966, started off in their 20s
and early 30s to play prominent roles in governance.

That brings up the question of how ready the youth are to take
up the challenge. For instance, Kogi State Governor, Yayaha Bello,
is, by all standards, a youth, who was thrown into the mix of state
governance by the unfortunate death of the candidate of the All
Progressives Congress (APC) in the November 22, 2015 governorship
election in the state, Alhaji Audu Abubakar.

Bello came into governance with all the hope that a vibrant
youth has taken over the mantle of leadership of the state. There
were high hopes that a breath of fresh air would descend on the
state. But nearly two years after, can the people of Kogi actually
claim that they made the right choice?

We make bold to say a big no! Harsh as our conclusion may seem,
evidence in the state, particularly, the state civil servants’
plight, clearly support our conclusion.
Only penultimate week, the Senate did the unusual – donating 1,250
bags of rice to the beleaguered workers.

Hunger is working like a human being on the streets of the
Confluence State, owing to the long months of unpaid salaries. We
consider the donation by the Senate the highest ridicule that could
be done to Nigerian workers, no matter how well intended. The
donation is even made worse coming from a motion raised by the
governor’s political enemy, Senator Dino Melaye, whom Bello is bent
on recalling from the Senate.

More worrying to the governor would also be that a director in
the state civil service, Mr. Edward Soje, committed suicide, a few
days after his wife gave birth to triplets. The defence of the
state government that Soje was only owed nine months’ salaries when
he took his life adds to the ridicule governance has become in Kogi
State.

Although the labour unions in the state claimed that Soje was
owed 11 months’ salary arrears, we insist that neither nine nor 11
months is good enough. More ridiculous is the lame allegation that
the late Soje falsified his age – reason for the arrears owed him.
Add that to the reference made to workers who are claiming to be
owed 11 months by the governor as political civil servants, the
stage is set for an epic embarrassment from government on
itself.

Kogi State has, like other states of the federation, received
both bailouts and Paris Club refund from the Federal Government
under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
We concede that Kogi is not the only state owing arrears of
salaries. Many other states also owe, which prompted Buhari to
wonder recently, how governors of those states sleep, knowing full
well that their workers are hungry. Kogi is one of such states
where NLC and other well-meaning individuals are now appealing to
workers not to commit suicide. This is most disheartening.

We believe very strongly that being a young governor, who is
vibrant and a hope for the youth, Bello should wake up to the
responsibility of governance in his state. The payment of workers’
salaries is one area that he needs to act urgently.

The governor should move away from politics of pettiness and
concern himself with the duty of redeeming his image with the
workers. He should be an example that the youth, if entrusted with
power, can use it well to positively affect the society.

As Nigeria moves towards 2019, another election year, arguments
have started once again for the election of youthful men and women
to run the affairs of the nation at both the state and national
levels. The arguments are currently strengthened by moves by the
National Assembly to lower the eligibility age for various elective
positions across the country’s political space.

By the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, to qualify for the
presidency of the country, one must have attained the age of 40
years; 35 for the Senate and 30 for the House of Representatives.
For governorship, one must have attained the age of 35 years to be
eligible.

But recently, the National Assembly passed the Not Too Young to
Run Bill. By the provisions of that bill, Nigerian youths can now
contest the presidency at the age of 35 and governor or senators at
the age of 30.

The bill also stipulates that 25-year-old people can now
legislate in the national and state assemblies across the
country.
We acknowledge that the move by the National Assembly is the right
step in the right direction. At least, it would restore some level
of confidence in youths who are prepared to lead at different
levels of governance.

Nigerian youths must take the challenge thrown to them with all
the seriousness it deserves. We recall that most of today’s exiting
leaders who were thrown up by the pre-independence day struggles
and post-independence events up till 1966, started off in their 20s
and early 30s to play prominent roles in governance.

That brings up the question of how ready the youth are to take
up the challenge. For instance, Kogi State Governor, Yayaha Bello,
is, by all standards, a youth, who was thrown into the mix of state
governance by the unfortunate death of the candidate of the All
Progressives Congress (APC) in the November 22, 2015 governorship
election in the state, Alhaji Audu Abubakar.

Bello came into governance with all the hope that a vibrant
youth has taken over the mantle of leadership of the state. There
were high hopes that a breath of fresh air would descend on the
state. But nearly two years after, can the people of Kogi actually
claim that they made the right choice?

We make bold to say a big no! Harsh as our conclusion may seem,
evidence in the state, particularly, the state civil servants’
plight, clearly support our conclusion.
Only penultimate week, the Senate did the unusual – donating 1,250
bags of rice to the beleaguered workers.

Hunger is working like a human being on the streets of the
Confluence State, owing to the long months of unpaid salaries. We
consider the donation by the Senate the highest ridicule that could
be done to Nigerian workers, no matter how well intended. The
donation is even made worse coming from a motion raised by the
governor’s political enemy, Senator Dino Melaye, whom Bello is bent
on recalling from the Senate.

More worrying to the governor would also be that a director in
the state civil service, Mr. Edward Soje, committed suicide, a few
days after his wife gave birth to triplets. The defence of the
state government that Soje was only owed nine months’ salaries when
he took his life adds to the ridicule governance has become in Kogi
State.

Although the labour unions in the state claimed that Soje was
owed 11 months’ salary arrears, we insist that neither nine nor 11
months is good enough. More ridiculous is the lame allegation that
the late Soje falsified his age – reason for the arrears owed him.
Add that to the reference made to workers who are claiming to be
owed 11 months by the governor as political civil servants, the
stage is set for an epic embarrassment from government on
itself.

Kogi State has, like other states of the federation, received
both bailouts and Paris Club refund from the Federal Government
under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
We concede that Kogi is not the only state owing arrears of
salaries. Many other states also owe, which prompted Buhari to
wonder recently, how governors of those states sleep, knowing full
well that their workers are hungry. Kogi is one of such states
where NLC and other well-meaning individuals are now appealing to
workers not to commit suicide. This is most disheartening.

We believe very strongly that being a young governor, who is
vibrant and a hope for the youth, Bello should wake up to the
responsibility of governance in his state. The payment of workers’
salaries is one area that he needs to act urgently.

The governor should move away from politics of pettiness and
concern himself with the duty of redeeming his image with the
workers. He should be an example that the youth, if entrusted with
power, can use it well to positively affect the society.