Dear Nigerian Youth, It’s Time To Take Possession; 2023 In View

By Elabor Joe Agbebaku Esq.

For some weeks now, we have been clamoring on the streets and on
media spaces agitating for a better Nigeria. In the process, we
lost some Comrades that being the highest price to pay for it.

I can say with every sense of sincerity and honesty that I have
never been this proud of my generation like I feel today.

After listening to the President’s address of last night,
coupled with all that we have seen and witnessed together in the
political system of our country, I felt the urge to let this letter
out to my fellow youths out there.

Let’s note that the battle is not lost but not over yet. We can
see this as a build up to what is yet to come. In spite of all that
has transpired in the last few days, we should not see ourselves as
victims but as victors.

Granted, we feel disappointed and I think we have good reasons
to be disappointed, given all that we expected and anticipated from
our government. But apparently they are not willing to compromise
their greed for obvious reasons.

After the speech last night, I received some messages from some
of my friends and colleagues informing me of their decisions to
finally leave the country in search of better life. Another
colleague of mine in the UK who was planning to return soon after
her program called also, crying and made it clear to me that she is
not coming back, and that she and her future kids deserve a better
life. When I went on Twitter and other social media platforms after
then, I saw thousands of Nigerian youths expressing their
frustrations and desire to leave the country immediately.

Truly, we deserve better than what we are getting from our
leaders and government, and unfortunately when we decided to raise
our voice to demand for what we deserve they tagged us civil
nuisance, impudent and insolent youths. When we persisted and
pressed on with our demands, they opened live bullets on us. Just
yesterday, I received a call that a very loyal youth from my
community who was hit with a bullet during one of the protests at
Auchi, Edo State, is to undergo surgery for amputation of one of
his legs. I am aware that we have worse cases all over within the
few days, and above all lives were lost.  We deserve better
than what we get.

Our Leaders and government have shown us expressly and impliedly
from every indication that they can’t give us the life we want, or
help build the nation of our dreams. That’s understandable to a
very large extent, in law we say nemo dare potest quod non
habet (no man can give that which he has not). They have no
dream or vision of what we want as a nation, they do not even care
about that. They have already established themselves and their
generation to live above minimum and average standard. So, it all
lies in and within us. Only us can give us what we
want.

We have passed the stage of giving up. We have set the ball
rolling, we would maintain and keep to the pace.

Let’s not look at our efforts as wasted labour or sacrifice. Of
course, that’s what the elites want us to believe, so that we can
give up on our pursuit. The protest was not a futility, it was a
great development and shows how we have improved. So many positive
things to take from it: we have been able to see the power within
us and exposed the weak points of our oppressors; we have been able
to show resilience even in the face of death; we have been able to
show unity of purpose; we have been able to show that we can take a
stand when it matters most; we have been able to show that we can
challenge any oppressor to power; and to very large extent it has
shown that we are ready to occupy leadership positions in our
nation.

Should anyone desire to leave, he can do so. He has a good
reason to so do. But for those of us who believe in the struggle
for better Nigeria, we must not give up. It’s time for us to
embrace the tides to overcome it. Let’s brace up to cease the time
and create opportunities for ourselves which would never be given
to us if we wait or relax, we must create it.

Let’s leverage on all that has transpired in the last few days
and prepare to take the country by storm. The battle for better
Nigeria has just begun, we all should see ourselves as actors in
this project. It is a journey for the birthing of a new Nigeria. We
must chase out and or retire all our common oppressors and enemies
of common purpose.

Everyone should get prepared for 2023, being the year for the
next general election. It’s going to be a battle for all. We must
define what we want through electoral process. 2023 may appear to
be still far, but when you look back to 2015, you would agree that
2023 is just by the corner. Therefore, whatever that must be done,
should start from this moment.

This is not the time to be apolitical, it’s a time to stand up
to right the wrongs. It is our chance to redeem the nation, we must
cease this moment. Let’s begin with ourselves. If at this point you
do not have PVC, it is not late, do whatever you can to have PVC
any time before 2023. We should ensure that we have visionary
youths in key elective positions in Nigeria by 2023, that should be
our goal.

Thankfully, age qualifications for elective positions have been
amended and reduced, this is to enable more participation from the
community of youth, we must take advantage of that development.

Experience and records have shown that youths play vital roles
in every election, from the strength they pull in during
electioneering campaigns, to voting and monitoring of votes during
and after elections. We have a good advantage on the field of play
if we create a synergy and work with one mind and sincerity.

Finance has been a factor that has limited the chances of
youths’ participation. However, I believe if we work together in
unity all that is required for the project would add up. We should
not be discouraged.

Let’s have confidence in our electoral process which has
improved a bit with what we saw and recorded in the Edo and Ondo
Governorship elections. So, we are hopeful for even more
improvement before the 2023 general election. That should not
constrain us.

I also understand that we have amongst us good number of youths
who would rather take the peanuts they would get immediately than
making sacrifices for a better future, we saw some of them fighting
against the protest after being paid to do so. Howbeit, we should
take that as part of the project by changing their orientation and
make them buy into our dream for a better Nigeria. That also should
not discourage us.

Irrespective of our political divides, we should ensure that we
represent the youth agenda in any platform we may belong. We should
not be blinded with political affiliation and sentiments, it has
been one of our major challenges.

Together and with God on our sides, we can build a nation of our
dreams. We are not bound to an impossibility.
  

Elabor Joe Agbebaku Esq. , Group Head/Principal
Partner, The Panthers Law Firm elaborjoe@gmail.com,^[1]
+2348037265985

By Elabor Joe Agbebaku Esq.

For some weeks now, we have been clamoring on the streets and on
media spaces agitating for a better Nigeria. In the process, we
lost some Comrades that being the highest price to pay for it.

I can say with every sense of sincerity and honesty that I have
never been this proud of my generation like I feel today.

After listening to the President’s address of last night,
coupled with all that we have seen and witnessed together in the
political system of our country, I felt the urge to let this letter
out to my fellow youths out there.

Let’s note that the battle is not lost but not over yet. We can
see this as a build up to what is yet to come. In spite of all that
has transpired in the last few days, we should not see ourselves as
victims but as victors.

Granted, we feel disappointed and I think we have good reasons
to be disappointed, given all that we expected and anticipated from
our government. But apparently they are not willing to compromise
their greed for obvious reasons.

After the speech last night, I received some messages from some
of my friends and colleagues informing me of their decisions to
finally leave the country in search of better life. Another
colleague of mine in the UK who was planning to return soon after
her program called also, crying and made it clear to me that she is
not coming back, and that she and her future kids deserve a better
life. When I went on Twitter and other social media platforms after
then, I saw thousands of Nigerian youths expressing their
frustrations and desire to leave the country immediately.

Truly, we deserve better than what we are getting from our
leaders and government, and unfortunately when we decided to raise
our voice to demand for what we deserve they tagged us civil
nuisance, impudent and insolent youths. When we persisted and
pressed on with our demands, they opened live bullets on us. Just
yesterday, I received a call that a very loyal youth from my
community who was hit with a bullet during one of the protests at
Auchi, Edo State, is to undergo surgery for amputation of one of
his legs. I am aware that we have worse cases all over within the
few days, and above all lives were lost.  We deserve better
than what we get.

Our Leaders and government have shown us expressly and impliedly
from every indication that they can’t give us the life we want, or
help build the nation of our dreams. That’s understandable to a
very large extent, in law we say nemo dare potest quod non
habet (no man can give that which he has not). They have no
dream or vision of what we want as a nation, they do not even care
about that. They have already established themselves and their
generation to live above minimum and average standard. So, it all
lies in and within us. Only us can give us what we
want.

We have passed the stage of giving up. We have set the ball
rolling, we would maintain and keep to the pace.

Let’s not look at our efforts as wasted labour or sacrifice. Of
course, that’s what the elites want us to believe, so that we can
give up on our pursuit. The protest was not a futility, it was a
great development and shows how we have improved. So many positive
things to take from it: we have been able to see the power within
us and exposed the weak points of our oppressors; we have been able
to show resilience even in the face of death; we have been able to
show unity of purpose; we have been able to show that we can take a
stand when it matters most; we have been able to show that we can
challenge any oppressor to power; and to very large extent it has
shown that we are ready to occupy leadership positions in our
nation.

Should anyone desire to leave, he can do so. He has a good
reason to so do. But for those of us who believe in the struggle
for better Nigeria, we must not give up. It’s time for us to
embrace the tides to overcome it. Let’s brace up to cease the time
and create opportunities for ourselves which would never be given
to us if we wait or relax, we must create it.

Let’s leverage on all that has transpired in the last few days
and prepare to take the country by storm. The battle for better
Nigeria has just begun, we all should see ourselves as actors in
this project. It is a journey for the birthing of a new Nigeria. We
must chase out and or retire all our common oppressors and enemies
of common purpose.

Everyone should get prepared for 2023, being the year for the
next general election. It’s going to be a battle for all. We must
define what we want through electoral process. 2023 may appear to
be still far, but when you look back to 2015, you would agree that
2023 is just by the corner. Therefore, whatever that must be done,
should start from this moment.

This is not the time to be apolitical, it’s a time to stand up
to right the wrongs. It is our chance to redeem the nation, we must
cease this moment. Let’s begin with ourselves. If at this point you
do not have PVC, it is not late, do whatever you can to have PVC
any time before 2023. We should ensure that we have visionary
youths in key elective positions in Nigeria by 2023, that should be
our goal.

Thankfully, age qualifications for elective positions have been
amended and reduced, this is to enable more participation from the
community of youth, we must take advantage of that development.

Experience and records have shown that youths play vital roles
in every election, from the strength they pull in during
electioneering campaigns, to voting and monitoring of votes during
and after elections. We have a good advantage on the field of play
if we create a synergy and work with one mind and sincerity.

Finance has been a factor that has limited the chances of
youths’ participation. However, I believe if we work together in
unity all that is required for the project would add up. We should
not be discouraged.

Let’s have confidence in our electoral process which has
improved a bit with what we saw and recorded in the Edo and Ondo
Governorship elections. So, we are hopeful for even more
improvement before the 2023 general election. That should not
constrain us.

I also understand that we have amongst us good number of youths
who would rather take the peanuts they would get immediately than
making sacrifices for a better future, we saw some of them fighting
against the protest after being paid to do so. Howbeit, we should
take that as part of the project by changing their orientation and
make them buy into our dream for a better Nigeria. That also should
not discourage us.

Irrespective of our political divides, we should ensure that we
represent the youth agenda in any platform we may belong. We should
not be blinded with political affiliation and sentiments, it has
been one of our major challenges.

Together and with God on our sides, we can build a nation of our
dreams. We are not bound to an impossibility.
  

Elabor Joe Agbebaku Esq. , Group Head/Principal
Partner, The Panthers Law Firm elaborjoe@gmail.com,^[1]
+2348037265985