WE NEED NEW FACES

BEING A PAPER PRESENTED BY ORIMOLOYE IFEOLUWA ON THE ROLE OF YOUTH IN NATION BUILDING IN COMMEMORATION OF THE BIRTHDAY OF COMRADE JAYEOBA CLEMENT

*Protocols

PREAMBLE

Perhaps, the idea of revolution first started in heaven at a plenary which had all the heavenly hosts present. It was observed at the plenary session that the world was in turmoil and could be therefore said to be in dire need of a new order. Earlier, there were predictions by frontline revolutionaries like John-the-Baptist who preached the need for the liberation of the people. It was therefore, not surprising to have learnt that John-the-Baptist was arrested and thrown into bondage on account of his yearn for a revolution. This phenomenon will be better understood when the circumstances surrounding most revolutions are studied closely. It will be understood that most revolutions always tow the same path with frontline advocates of liberations being martyred or imprisoned indefinitely alongside their leaders. Unfortunately, most revolutionaries do not eventually witness the revolution of which they are staunch advocates on account of the severe victimization that accompanies martyrship. This was what happened to John-the-Baptist, the frontline advocate of revolution.
In the next couple of days, Christians around the world will be celebrating the birth of the man who dominated the outcome of the plenary which was held in heaven, as at last, it was decided that Jesus Christ would be the most appropriate to be sent on the journey of liberation.

THE IMPACT OF YOUTH ON THE SOCIETY
Away from the circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ, it will be observed that Jesus Christ started the work of liberation from teenage years, at the early age of twelve, and ended it at thirty-three, “while the evil days were still afar.” The age twelve, and thirty-three are significant and are as such worthy of note. The reason why the mission of Jesus Christ was limited to the age duration cannot be ascertained but one could say from observations that the mission of Jesus Christ was pre-planned such that it was done in recognition of the fact that the age duration represents the most active period of human endeavor. From statistics, this is the time when an individual can exhibit the highest level of productivity. It’s little wonder that in advanced societies, credence is given to the duration in question, especially in the case of (contemporary) appointments into multinational corporations. Jesus laid His life at a youthful age for the liberation of the world and as such died a martyr. This follows for individuals like Martin Luther-King who died at a rather youthful age for the liberation of the people. It would be observed from the lives of frontline revolutionaries that they always act at youthful ages, when the energy is waiting to be tapped and when the impact is expected to be more felt. It therefore follows that at a youthful age, whatever one does either positively or negatively has a profound impact on the society. That is why attention should be directed at people who fall within the youthful age, because of the sensitivity associated with it.
Regard should at this point, be given to Hong Kong, an administrative region under China, where there is a fight for independence occasioned by China’s dominance over Hong Kong by the virtue of some constitutional clause. Hong Kong is meant to be a sovereign state but for the clause which renders Hong Kong a semiautonomous region and as such allow members of the legislative council in Hong Kong to swear an oath of allegiance to the Peoples Republic of China. This has continued to happen in Hong Kong until the recent uproar from some citizens of Hong Kong. The youths that are demanding a new course for China are young and are among the political activists elected into the legislative council on the platform of a political group; Youngspiration. These young chaps achieved what others in Hong Kong may not have achieved because they got the platform with which they could expend their energy and impact the society more profoundly.
These are countries that are curious and serious about productivity as it pertains to human resources. It is again of little wonder that these countries are progressing in areas where we are retrogressing. The experience in Nigeria is different because an average youth is being underutilized and is only allowed to dissipate the energy on the social media. That doesn’t imply that the social media is unpleasant or evil, it is just that the circumstances that has been drawn/laid by the Nigerian society makes it difficult for an average youth to expend his/her energy on something worthwhile. One would be surprised when one gets into public and private companies only to discover that the youth in those companies are only being sent on embarrassing errands as opposed to the highly productive activities, this extends to politics where the youth are only allowed to dissipate their energy on political mobilization and related errands. Like our Naira, the youth are only being devalued/underutilized as opposed to an optimal management. The aphorism, “the elders have failed us” have continued to linger in the hearts of the youths by the virtue of the marginalization of youth in all facets of the Nigerian lives. Thus, it could be said that the circumstances surrounding the abduction of the Chibok girls among other circumstances, reflects a society that is insensitive to the welfare of a particular section of her citizens that is distinguished by age peculiarity and by extension, her estimated one-hundred-and-forty-million citizens. I was quoted in The Epoch Times magazine as saying that “the abduction of over 200 school girls represents a society that is quite insensitive to the welfare of the youths.”
Worst still, while the issue of the underutilization of youth is still being addressed, one would for instance still get intimated about the news of the election of another “grandpa” into a political position…nothing can be more discouraging than finding a grandpa that is supposed to perform advisory roles for the youth, vying for the same political position (as the youth). An argument against this assertion stems from the insinuations that the youth are not experienced enough. When people say that the youths are not experienced, one would then realize why companies in Nigeria requests for FRESH graduates with donkey years of experience, for heaven sake, how is a fresh graduate expected to gain such an experience that is not readily accessible in the first place? This further gives credence to insinuations that we are getting it all wrong, how are we not getting it wrong when the future of the country are rotting away pursuing misplaced priorities on the social media. What I mean by that is that many of the youth display so much potentials on/using the social media, which does not oftentimes correspond with what the global counterparts are achieving. In giving credence to that submission, I will once again make an instance of the young chaps in Hong Kong who are already making a profound change while their Nigeria counterparts are making their own impact on the social media. The glory of a nation is embedded in the Youths of the nation and that is why the youth are referred to as the glory of a nation, but a country that fails to explore the potentials of her youth will only experience the antonym of glory. This was what I described elsewhere using the illustration of an engine. There, I gave the distinction between an old engine and a new engine thus; “The difference between an old engine and a new engine extends to the functionality. An old engine will continue to fail although intermittently until its final failure, but in a new engine lies the confidence to perform efficiently. That, I think, is the difference between developing and developed countries, viz, Nigeria and nations like the United States. We have continued to fail while those countries are achieving success partly because we have continued to patronize the old engines instead of the new breed.”
The title of this paper is an extract from a book by NoViolet Bulawayo titled “we need new names.” We need new names dwells on the story of a young African teenager and her travails. It gives an insight to life in contemporary Zimbabwe and altogether portrays a bad image of Africa, hence, the title “we need new names.” We need new names is another way of saying that we need deserve a new reputation. That is why I am saying that in Nigeria and in Africa, we need new faces. We need new faces implies that we deserve new souls that are independent of the decadence that has befallen our society. We call these anticipated souls “new” on account of their independence from these vices/decadence, with the assurance that they are completely new, component wise and in terms of their body, soul and mind. This description only fits the younger generation. The emergence of the “souls” is my definition of revolution.
I will conclude this paper by charging the youth to be persistent, the good can only be better. Nigeria can be great again if the potentials of youth are explored maximally and profitably, in tandem with the way succeeding countries are tapping into their glories.
I want to use this avenue to felicitate with the celebrant, Comrade Jayeoba Olawale Clement by admonishing him to relentlessly pursue that for which providence has set him apart.
Thanks.