Leaders of tomorrow-they lied to us

Leaders of tomorrow

There is a saying that Children are the leaders of tomorrow and that had kept me thinking because I started hearing it, even sang it as a poem in my elementary school days, now as a man in his mid 30's the Nigerian society is still not seeing me as a man who is qualified to lead instead they refer to me as a youth who is not matured enough to handle things. Last week a former Nigerian Leader General Gowon celebrated his 80th birthday, this is a man that took over the mantle of leadership at the age of 32, he overcame his fear and led the nation well, and he made sure that Nigeria remained united even after the civil war.
Today you find that half of Nigerians of that age are still staying in their parents’ house or squatting in a relative or friends house, when will they lead, I overhead a youth leader in a political party arguing that he is young at heart when asked why he is a youth leader at age 50, what an irony.
I believe that as a Nation, we can only move forward when the youths are given the opportunity and the position they deserve in the affairs of our Nation, the old men piloting the affairs of our Nation ought to have tutored youths and anoint them to take over the mantle of leadership at all helms of affairs of this Nation.
To my guys out there, please do not allow anybody to use you as a thug, wise up guys, wise up especially now that 2015 is around the corner, another election year, as we wake up daily we should have it at the back of our minds that we can only be leaders of tomorrow only if we work towards it and take the bull by the horn because this old men keep recycling themselves and will find it difficult to retire even when it is obvious that the retirement age is 60 or after putting 35years in service.