An activist in the Northeast geo-political zone have expressed worry that the nation’s leaders are selected rather than elected and, as a result, votes cast in elections are cooked up in someone’s living room rather than collected from the honest votes of the electorate.
Mohammed Mu’azu, who is a member of Northeast Youth Initiative Forum (NEYIF), observed that individuals are being killed each time they attempted to defend their rights to bring to power leaders of their choice.
“When a nation states, through the office of its leadership, that it can no longer perform its basic responsibility of provision of security and development and has no effective control over its territory and borders, then such a nation or state is termed a failed nation,” Mu’azu stated.
Mu’azu, a youth activist, at the Northeast Youths Summit on Election Violence held in Bauchi on Tuesday, noted that whereas democracy has about 90 per cent assurance of producing credible leaders, Nigerian democracies thrive upon filth.
The activist said in a paper titled, “Building Real Democracy for Better Nigeria”, that the survival of a nation depends on the good leadership its leaders can bring to bear on the people.
“Should a nation be guaranteed continuous existence if her citizens wallow in abject poverty, especially if such a nation is identified as having the potential human and material resources that guarantees greatness,” he queried.
Mu’azu noted that our central government is weak and can no longer provide public services, with agriculture, health, education, transportation and power services worse than before, as corruption and crime are no longer news in the country.
The activist, while advocating for a profitable, sound and strong government, urged the youth to do away with social ignorance, and pursue an educated and social economy where the system will recognise every effort or idea for the betterment of tomorrow.
Mu’azu also called on the youth whom, he said, are vibrant, educated and experienced to say no to modern day slavery, victimisation and money politics as they forge together, irrespective of ethnicity or religious differences towards building an egalitarian society.
He expressed regret that youth see money politics as the only means of survival, thus mortgaging their tomorrow for today and abandoning their souls for stipends, thereby ending up being menace to the society.
Comrade Mohammed Mu’azu appealed to leaders of political parties to advise their supporters to desist from unwarranted acts of indiscipline such as politics of insult that often disturb the peace of the nation.
Other papers presented at the day-long Northeast youth summit in Bauchi include, ‘Role of INEC in conducting free, fair and credible elections, and role of youth in promoting free, fair and credible elections.
