By: Lanre Shodimu, Bilesanmi Abayomi
Youths as an important segment of any society holds the key to the sustainable growth and development of such society.
Therefore, there is the need to ensure they play critical role in the affairs of the society, and such task at ensuring that the youths play critical role in leadership should be considered legacy, the older generation must leave behind.
In this interview with Kosofe Post, Mr. Adande Emmanuel Wenayor a graduate and young Presidential aspirant on the platform of All Progressives Congress bare his mind on some topical national issues as he prepares to slug it out with other aspirants for the coveted seat of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Briefly introduce yourself to us:-
My name is Adande Emmanuel Whenayo, from Badagry, and an indegene of Lagos State, Nigeria.
I completed my entire educational career in Lagos State, Nigeria. I had my Primary Education at Ajidagbon Primary School, Phase I, Gbagada Estate, while my Secondary School Education was at the Comprehensive High School, Phase II, and my tertiary Education was at University of Lagos(Unilag) Akoka, Lagos. Coupled with other professional certificates.
I’m into agribusiness and real estate management and Consultancy Services among other interest.
I am here to inform every one of my ambition to contest for President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
I am particularly delighted to offer myself as Presidential candidate in the forthcoming Presidential election come, 2023, as Nigerian youth.
What’s your idea as regards ideal politics and leadership in Nigeria?
Politics, to me, should be run in a manner and ability to influence decisions for the betterment of the populace.
Leadership entails that a person should be able to offer himself at service to the people and also giving pathways, decisions and directives that will at the end improve the welfare of the generality of the population.
In what area do you think young people have been surcharged in terms of leadership in Nigeria?
Young people have generally been denied leadership as a result of lack of intrest & consciene of nigeria youths to politics.
This is because the older generation have always failed to relinquish power to the younger generation to rule over the affairs of the nation.
Nigerian Youths are Plaque with all manner of challenges, one of which is unemployment which is said to be in the region of 33.3%, considered as a conservative figure. As a young Aspirant, who is conversant with the problems of the youths, what measures will you be putting in place to combat this?
If elected, I will ensure that youths take charge of their affairs. I will also set up a Committee to look at the issue of unemployment and how to deal with it.
I will ensure that youths become productive by removing every bottleneck hindering employment opportunities, including providing a conducive environment for investments to thrive and at the same time fight insecurity and improve on infrastructural development in the country.
It is clear that one of the many disadvantages of unemployment are banditry, kidnappings and ritual killings etc., if given the opportunity, how do you intend to curb this?
The first step to be taken at curbing all these vices is to first admit that Nigerians are indeed living in hard times, with the rising cost of living amidst other life challenges.
If given opportunity, I will ensure all borders are opened in order to increase economic activities in and around the country. I will also ensure setup committees at ministerial and departmental levels that will ensure that the right policies are formulated for enhancing the standard of living of Nigerians.
I will also engage the legislatures to make good laws that will better the lives of the Nigerian youths, and I will finally engage the security agencies to fish out collaborators and perpetrators of such dastardly acts in the country.
What’s your opinion on State Police?
As it is, State Police is yet to be recognized by the Constitution. However, if elected, I will take stringent measures at tackling insecurity and I will also ensure that I liaise with major stakeholders at working out modalities at ensuring that state policing is realizable and not subjected to any form of abuses when operational.
Now, with the older generation still at the corridors of power and with the enormous population of youths given at a figure of about 74% of the entire population, as a young contestant, how do you intend to wrestle power from the older generation?
Although Rome wasn’t built in a day, but it however wasn’t built forever.
The youths must be committed and at the same time be much focus and also hold their destiny in their own hands and support one of their own.
As it is currently, the youths seem not to be much committed to political leadership, as they seem to be much committed to activities such as music, comedy and bets etc.
We therefore not only need the supports of the youths to rally themselves into leadership, but also need the support and understanding of the older generation for the need to relinquish power to the younger generation.