Tobias Sylvester
A Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo has asked Nigerians youths to flush out older generation from political offices so that they can take over leadership.
Obasanjo made this call while speaking at an interactive session held virtually to mark this year’s International Youth Day on Wednesday, August 12, 2020.
He said unless the youths to take over leadership positions by “squeezing older generation out of office”, the old leaders would not vacate their offices except they are forced out.
The former president further enjoined the youths to demand affirmative action with “positive discrimination in favour of youth” enshrined in the constitution of political parties.
“Unless you squeeze out those who are in the office and those who want to remain in office perpetually, some after the age of 80. Unless you squeeze them out they will not want to be out,” Obasanjo said.
“The type of change I am talking about, that I believe we can all embark upon is to subscribe into the constitution of political parties in favour of youth. Or if you like it you call it affirmative action in favour of youths.
“For instance, if you say, in the constitution of a political party, not less than 50 per cent of those who hold executive office within the party will be less than 40 years of age. You’re just making sure that people that are 40 years of age will hold 50 percent of executive offices within the political party.
“You can even go beyond that and say that people who will be put up for election, not less than 50 percent of them, will be less than 40 years of age. That’s affirmative action. That’s positive discrimination in favour of youths.
“I am saying this because if you leave it entirely for people to do it for you, nobody will do it for you. You have to do it for yourself.”
The session was organised by the Youth Development Centre, an arm of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), and attended by participants from Nigeria, Mali, USA, Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa.
KanyiDaily recalls that Obasanjo had made this same call last year when he said that the African youths will not get into power on a platter of gold, unless they snatch it from the aging leaders.
