Moses Okezie-Okafor 

---

'Whoever will wait for roast chicken to fly into mouth will wait forever.' – Chinese Proverb.

The Chinese are wise, and prescient. They predicted the current generation of Nigerian youth.

The typical Nigerian youth is first self-confessed 'apolitical' in his twenties. How can he be interested in politics when Chelsea only has to beat Barca to bring home the trophy? Whatever time is left from this primary pursuit he invests in 'important' activities like nicking enough notches on his bedpost before he finally 'settles down'.

By early 30s he is 'interested in politics' having realised just how much the overall lack of quality manpower in politics has messed up his life and chances. By the time he is nudging 40, he is a full believer in political participation – except he thinks all the existing political parties are 'shitholes' and he would rather be dead than be in any of them.

His mates on social media have convinced him that to be in any of the  parties that actually have a chance of winning elections is to become a pariah. One party is in power, and 'it has failed'. Another is out of power but 'it had failed'. The alternatives have no chance of getting into power and are 'wasting people's time'. He and his crew have the definition of the problem down pat, but no inkling of a solution, so they blame the politicians. 'After all, that's why we elected them.'

By Mid-40s he still clings to the status of youth, shaving his head with razors to hide the widening bald spots and buying curious equipment to trim the grey tufts in his nose and ears. He starts to nurse daydreams of inspiring a youth revolution which will sweep the established political elites aside and catapult him to the Presidency or Governorship or Legislative office overnight. He wants to be Mandela without the 27 years at Robben Island.

He buys the smartest smartphone and flexes his digits, charges online and starts to hustle. Mature-like at first. You know, pithy quotes, serendipitous articles, sagey criticism of the political gladiators of the day.

They ignore him initially. The real youth. He keeps needling them. Then they attack him. Tear at his insides. The new youth. Piranhas. Cheap smartphones, but men, can they snark. They roil the waters and his blood boils. He is provoked and discards the veneer of polish. He yells.

'We can't take it'.

'We won't take it'.

'Out with the old…!'

'In with the youth!'

 

They are masters of the catty comeback.

'You're ooooold, old man. Ancient.' 

'In fact, you're an ancestor.' 

'Your generation ruined our lives.'

'Get lost and God punish you.'

Their words are armour-piercing. They penetrate our man's resolve, gouge out his good political intentions and throw it in the dust at his feet.

By 50, he finally realises that social media, at least in these parts, is good for snazzy campaigns, some even lead to political change, but it is social change that is difficult. You also have no control over those you empower via social media, except perhaps to disempower them again via social media when they fail your ideals. That is, if they don't disembowel you first – metaphorically speaking, of course. I think. 

Mid-50s and our man desperately wants to play politics. It is no longer a matter of needs. It is altruism calling. The call in his heart is unmistakable, overpowering. He can be different, he knows. Make a difference for the suffering masses. He knows this too in his knower. He cannot allow these 'clueless' or feckless politicians continue messing up the country. He has grandchildren now to think about. For their sakes he is even ready for the murky swamps where all the dirty politics goes down.

That little thing again rears its ugly head. Our ageing youth cum budding elder still does not want to start, and cannot be expected to start, at the bottom of the political ladder. He is too old to become a newbie and pay his dues. Unfortunately, he does not have bucket-loads of lucre, filthy or otherwise, to buy himself a commission to his desired executive or legislative office unopposed. He needs quick-wins if he is not to die on the lower rungs. He tries anyway. They tell him the price of beans, he feels nauseous and balks. His political will wilts. 

Yeah. I could have told you all that for free. You have all this backwards, bro. You want to make a career (or change, if you will) in Nigerian politics but you want to make it in a way you will never think of making a career in any profession. You want to start at the top and reinvent the wheel. Like I said, I coulda told you for free – road no dey this road wey you carry. 

Well, we have seen miracles of nepotism in this here country, so if your father is already up there and is willing to kill, himself included, for you. Maybe. No? No daddy long legs to jump process for you? Too bad. Start early and get in line. 

 

With no powerful benefactor, the newly woke 'yooth' inevitably falls into hallucinations fueled by frustration. Like Don Quixote, he charges at windmills. He calls for the youth to gang together and overwhelm the existing political establishment in one fell swoop.

 

He points to the merger of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in 2013 to topple the ruling PDP.

 

Duh. The 2013 merger of CPC, ACN, ANPP and a faction of APGA along with the so-called New Peoples Democratic Party (NPDP) to form the APC was not a start-up. It wasn't an upstart too. Each of those parties was over 10 years old in 2013, and people have been paying their dues nonstop in them. Many of the politicians running them have been playing and paying in politics at least 20 years before any of the parties were formed.

 

It is like saying a merger of Amazon, Google, Facebook and Twitter with parts of Microsoft would be a start-up. How can? They will dominate everything on the globe – both on and off the Internet, simply because they've been dominant before the merger. They won't be forming a competitive enterprise, they will be forming a monopoly.

 

See, guy, the political sucker punch which clears the field of entrenched opponents does not exist. Too many video games and comic heroes with mass kill abilities doth make thee mad. Politics is a contact sport and the earlier you start practice the better your chance of becoming numero uno. In other words, the existing political parties will keep ruling the roost unless and until there is another seismic shift like the merger of the biggies in 2013.

 

At the risk of trying to psychoanalyse you, let me say that if you want to succeed in any professional career, you pay first. You find an entry level position and commit to climbing the corporate ladder for as long as it takes to become successful. Likewise, if you want to have any chance of beating APC or PDP or APGA or other parties today, it is easier to start from within. You join, get a card and start to be The Change. Sooner or later you will get your chance and go for political office.

 

If we continue to bemoan our national state and our only action is daydreams of a sudden revolution of the masses to topple their hegemony in one season or a day, the chances are slimmer than a strip of super thin mint's on a hot tong. The chances of a congress of youths springing from nowhere to achieve that one is next to impossible. You may not have noticed, but many have 

 

If we are going to rule this country any time before our children retire us all, hopefully in another 20 or 30 years, perhaps earlier than that, the earlier we start with any of the existing parties, the sooner and better for us. Abraham's servant said in the Bible, '…I being in the way, the LORD led me…'

 

Whatever you decide to do after reading this, bear in mind that by 60, your goose is cooked, politically speaking. You may have succeeded at something or some things, but you will be in the grips of an excruciating 'but' for having failed to make a difference in the politics of our nation after the 'spirit' came on you.

 

No matter your accomplishments, there will always be that pernicious little 'but'. It will be the fly in your ointment. It will bug your conscience, tell you you failed yourself, your generation and posterity for not putting your hand to the plough, or putting it and looking back.

 

In your latter years, you will meet the man you could have been and he will show you images of the land you could have replenished by ploughing the political terrain, and did not. He will haunt you mercilessly for the stillbirth of your one great purpose. Then, too late, you will come to realise that political inaction is far worse than the sin of official corruption.

Wannabe politicians in Nigeria need to learn to follow the process early. Like Mel Gibson's character in The Patriot said, 'aim small, miss small'.

About Post Author

Moses Okezie-Okafor 

---

'Whoever will wait for roast chicken to fly into mouth will wait forever.' – Chinese Proverb.

The Chinese are wise, and prescient. They predicted the current generation of Nigerian youth.

The typical Nigerian youth is first self-confessed 'apolitical' in his twenties. How can he be interested in politics when Chelsea only has to beat Barca to bring home the trophy? Whatever time is left from this primary pursuit he invests in 'important' activities like nicking enough notches on his bedpost before he finally 'settles down'.

By early 30s he is 'interested in politics' having realised just how much the overall lack of quality manpower in politics has messed up his life and chances. By the time he is nudging 40, he is a full believer in political participation – except he thinks all the existing political parties are 'shitholes' and he would rather be dead than be in any of them.

His mates on social media have convinced him that to be in any of the  parties that actually have a chance of winning elections is to become a pariah. One party is in power, and 'it has failed'. Another is out of power but 'it had failed'. The alternatives have no chance of getting into power and are 'wasting people's time'. He and his crew have the definition of the problem down pat, but no inkling of a solution, so they blame the politicians. 'After all, that's why we elected them.'

By Mid-40s he still clings to the status of youth, shaving his head with razors to hide the widening bald spots and buying curious equipment to trim the grey tufts in his nose and ears. He starts to nurse daydreams of inspiring a youth revolution which will sweep the established political elites aside and catapult him to the Presidency or Governorship or Legislative office overnight. He wants to be Mandela without the 27 years at Robben Island.

He buys the smartest smartphone and flexes his digits, charges online and starts to hustle. Mature-like at first. You know, pithy quotes, serendipitous articles, sagey criticism of the political gladiators of the day.

They ignore him initially. The real youth. He keeps needling them. Then they attack him. Tear at his insides. The new youth. Piranhas. Cheap smartphones, but men, can they snark. They roil the waters and his blood boils. He is provoked and discards the veneer of polish. He yells.

'We can't take it'.

'We won't take it'.

'Out with the old…!'

'In with the youth!'

 

They are masters of the catty comeback.

'You're ooooold, old man. Ancient.' 

'In fact, you're an ancestor.' 

'Your generation ruined our lives.'

'Get lost and God punish you.'

Their words are armour-piercing. They penetrate our man's resolve, gouge out his good political intentions and throw it in the dust at his feet.

By 50, he finally realises that social media, at least in these parts, is good for snazzy campaigns, some even lead to political change, but it is social change that is difficult. You also have no control over those you empower via social media, except perhaps to disempower them again via social media when they fail your ideals. That is, if they don't disembowel you first – metaphorically speaking, of course. I think. 

Mid-50s and our man desperately wants to play politics. It is no longer a matter of needs. It is altruism calling. The call in his heart is unmistakable, overpowering. He can be different, he knows. Make a difference for the suffering masses. He knows this too in his knower. He cannot allow these 'clueless' or feckless politicians continue messing up the country. He has grandchildren now to think about. For their sakes he is even ready for the murky swamps where all the dirty politics goes down.

That little thing again rears its ugly head. Our ageing youth cum budding elder still does not want to start, and cannot be expected to start, at the bottom of the political ladder. He is too old to become a newbie and pay his dues. Unfortunately, he does not have bucket-loads of lucre, filthy or otherwise, to buy himself a commission to his desired executive or legislative office unopposed. He needs quick-wins if he is not to die on the lower rungs. He tries anyway. They tell him the price of beans, he feels nauseous and balks. His political will wilts. 

Yeah. I could have told you all that for free. You have all this backwards, bro. You want to make a career (or change, if you will) in Nigerian politics but you want to make it in a way you will never think of making a career in any profession. You want to start at the top and reinvent the wheel. Like I said, I coulda told you for free – road no dey this road wey you carry. 

Well, we have seen miracles of nepotism in this here country, so if your father is already up there and is willing to kill, himself included, for you. Maybe. No? No daddy long legs to jump process for you? Too bad. Start early and get in line. 

 

With no powerful benefactor, the newly woke 'yooth' inevitably falls into hallucinations fueled by frustration. Like Don Quixote, he charges at windmills. He calls for the youth to gang together and overwhelm the existing political establishment in one fell swoop.

 

He points to the merger of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in 2013 to topple the ruling PDP.

 

Duh. The 2013 merger of CPC, ACN, ANPP and a faction of APGA along with the so-called New Peoples Democratic Party (NPDP) to form the APC was not a start-up. It wasn't an upstart too. Each of those parties was over 10 years old in 2013, and people have been paying their dues nonstop in them. Many of the politicians running them have been playing and paying in politics at least 20 years before any of the parties were formed.

 

It is like saying a merger of Amazon, Google, Facebook and Twitter with parts of Microsoft would be a start-up. How can? They will dominate everything on the globe – both on and off the Internet, simply because they've been dominant before the merger. They won't be forming a competitive enterprise, they will be forming a monopoly.

 

See, guy, the political sucker punch which clears the field of entrenched opponents does not exist. Too many video games and comic heroes with mass kill abilities doth make thee mad. Politics is a contact sport and the earlier you start practice the better your chance of becoming numero uno. In other words, the existing political parties will keep ruling the roost unless and until there is another seismic shift like the merger of the biggies in 2013.

 

At the risk of trying to psychoanalyse you, let me say that if you want to succeed in any professional career, you pay first. You find an entry level position and commit to climbing the corporate ladder for as long as it takes to become successful. Likewise, if you want to have any chance of beating APC or PDP or APGA or other parties today, it is easier to start from within. You join, get a card and start to be The Change. Sooner or later you will get your chance and go for political office.

 

If we continue to bemoan our national state and our only action is daydreams of a sudden revolution of the masses to topple their hegemony in one season or a day, the chances are slimmer than a strip of super thin mint's on a hot tong. The chances of a congress of youths springing from nowhere to achieve that one is next to impossible. You may not have noticed, but many have 

 

If we are going to rule this country any time before our children retire us all, hopefully in another 20 or 30 years, perhaps earlier than that, the earlier we start with any of the existing parties, the sooner and better for us. Abraham's servant said in the Bible, '…I being in the way, the LORD led me…'

 

Whatever you decide to do after reading this, bear in mind that by 60, your goose is cooked, politically speaking. You may have succeeded at something or some things, but you will be in the grips of an excruciating 'but' for having failed to make a difference in the politics of our nation after the 'spirit' came on you.

 

No matter your accomplishments, there will always be that pernicious little 'but'. It will be the fly in your ointment. It will bug your conscience, tell you you failed yourself, your generation and posterity for not putting your hand to the plough, or putting it and looking back.

 

In your latter years, you will meet the man you could have been and he will show you images of the land you could have replenished by ploughing the political terrain, and did not. He will haunt you mercilessly for the stillbirth of your one great purpose. Then, too late, you will come to realise that political inaction is far worse than the sin of official corruption.

Wannabe politicians in Nigeria need to learn to follow the process early. Like Mel Gibson's character in The Patriot said, 'aim small, miss small'.

About Post Author

Moses Okezie-Okafor 

---

'Whoever will wait for roast chicken to fly into mouth will wait forever.' – Chinese Proverb.

The Chinese are wise, and prescient. They predicted the current generation of Nigerian youth.

The typical Nigerian youth is first self-confessed 'apolitical' in his twenties. How can he be interested in politics when Chelsea only has to beat Barca to bring home the trophy? Whatever time is left from this primary pursuit he invests in 'important' activities like nicking enough notches on his bedpost before he finally 'settles down'.

By early 30s he is 'interested in politics' having realised just how much the overall lack of quality manpower in politics has messed up his life and chances. By the time he is nudging 40, he is a full believer in political participation – except he thinks all the existing political parties are 'shitholes' and he would rather be dead than be in any of them.

His mates on social media have convinced him that to be in any of the  parties that actually have a chance of winning elections is to become a pariah. One party is in power, and 'it has failed'. Another is out of power but 'it had failed'. The alternatives have no chance of getting into power and are 'wasting people's time'. He and his crew have the definition of the problem down pat, but no inkling of a solution, so they blame the politicians. 'After all, that's why we elected them.'

By Mid-40s he still clings to the status of youth, shaving his head with razors to hide the widening bald spots and buying curious equipment to trim the grey tufts in his nose and ears. He starts to nurse daydreams of inspiring a youth revolution which will sweep the established political elites aside and catapult him to the Presidency or Governorship or Legislative office overnight. He wants to be Mandela without the 27 years at Robben Island.

He buys the smartest smartphone and flexes his digits, charges online and starts to hustle. Mature-like at first. You know, pithy quotes, serendipitous articles, sagey criticism of the political gladiators of the day.

They ignore him initially. The real youth. He keeps needling them. Then they attack him. Tear at his insides. The new youth. Piranhas. Cheap smartphones, but men, can they snark. They roil the waters and his blood boils. He is provoked and discards the veneer of polish. He yells.

'We can't take it'.

'We won't take it'.

'Out with the old…!'

'In with the youth!'

 

They are masters of the catty comeback.

'You're ooooold, old man. Ancient.' 

'In fact, you're an ancestor.' 

'Your generation ruined our lives.'

'Get lost and God punish you.'

Their words are armour-piercing. They penetrate our man's resolve, gouge out his good political intentions and throw it in the dust at his feet.

By 50, he finally realises that social media, at least in these parts, is good for snazzy campaigns, some even lead to political change, but it is social change that is difficult. You also have no control over those you empower via social media, except perhaps to disempower them again via social media when they fail your ideals. That is, if they don't disembowel you first – metaphorically speaking, of course. I think. 

Mid-50s and our man desperately wants to play politics. It is no longer a matter of needs. It is altruism calling. The call in his heart is unmistakable, overpowering. He can be different, he knows. Make a difference for the suffering masses. He knows this too in his knower. He cannot allow these 'clueless' or feckless politicians continue messing up the country. He has grandchildren now to think about. For their sakes he is even ready for the murky swamps where all the dirty politics goes down.

That little thing again rears its ugly head. Our ageing youth cum budding elder still does not want to start, and cannot be expected to start, at the bottom of the political ladder. He is too old to become a newbie and pay his dues. Unfortunately, he does not have bucket-loads of lucre, filthy or otherwise, to buy himself a commission to his desired executive or legislative office unopposed. He needs quick-wins if he is not to die on the lower rungs. He tries anyway. They tell him the price of beans, he feels nauseous and balks. His political will wilts. 

Yeah. I could have told you all that for free. You have all this backwards, bro. You want to make a career (or change, if you will) in Nigerian politics but you want to make it in a way you will never think of making a career in any profession. You want to start at the top and reinvent the wheel. Like I said, I coulda told you for free – road no dey this road wey you carry. 

Well, we have seen miracles of nepotism in this here country, so if your father is already up there and is willing to kill, himself included, for you. Maybe. No? No daddy long legs to jump process for you? Too bad. Start early and get in line. 

 

With no powerful benefactor, the newly woke 'yooth' inevitably falls into hallucinations fueled by frustration. Like Don Quixote, he charges at windmills. He calls for the youth to gang together and overwhelm the existing political establishment in one fell swoop.

 

He points to the merger of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in 2013 to topple the ruling PDP.

 

Duh. The 2013 merger of CPC, ACN, ANPP and a faction of APGA along with the so-called New Peoples Democratic Party (NPDP) to form the APC was not a start-up. It wasn't an upstart too. Each of those parties was over 10 years old in 2013, and people have been paying their dues nonstop in them. Many of the politicians running them have been playing and paying in politics at least 20 years before any of the parties were formed.

 

It is like saying a merger of Amazon, Google, Facebook and Twitter with parts of Microsoft would be a start-up. How can? They will dominate everything on the globe – both on and off the Internet, simply because they've been dominant before the merger. They won't be forming a competitive enterprise, they will be forming a monopoly.

 

See, guy, the political sucker punch which clears the field of entrenched opponents does not exist. Too many video games and comic heroes with mass kill abilities doth make thee mad. Politics is a contact sport and the earlier you start practice the better your chance of becoming numero uno. In other words, the existing political parties will keep ruling the roost unless and until there is another seismic shift like the merger of the biggies in 2013.

 

At the risk of trying to psychoanalyse you, let me say that if you want to succeed in any professional career, you pay first. You find an entry level position and commit to climbing the corporate ladder for as long as it takes to become successful. Likewise, if you want to have any chance of beating APC or PDP or APGA or other parties today, it is easier to start from within. You join, get a card and start to be The Change. Sooner or later you will get your chance and go for political office.

 

If we continue to bemoan our national state and our only action is daydreams of a sudden revolution of the masses to topple their hegemony in one season or a day, the chances are slimmer than a strip of super thin mint's on a hot tong. The chances of a congress of youths springing from nowhere to achieve that one is next to impossible. You may not have noticed, but many have 

 

If we are going to rule this country any time before our children retire us all, hopefully in another 20 or 30 years, perhaps earlier than that, the earlier we start with any of the existing parties, the sooner and better for us. Abraham's servant said in the Bible, '…I being in the way, the LORD led me…'

 

Whatever you decide to do after reading this, bear in mind that by 60, your goose is cooked, politically speaking. You may have succeeded at something or some things, but you will be in the grips of an excruciating 'but' for having failed to make a difference in the politics of our nation after the 'spirit' came on you.

 

No matter your accomplishments, there will always be that pernicious little 'but'. It will be the fly in your ointment. It will bug your conscience, tell you you failed yourself, your generation and posterity for not putting your hand to the plough, or putting it and looking back.

 

In your latter years, you will meet the man you could have been and he will show you images of the land you could have replenished by ploughing the political terrain, and did not. He will haunt you mercilessly for the stillbirth of your one great purpose. Then, too late, you will come to realise that political inaction is far worse than the sin of official corruption.

Wannabe politicians in Nigeria need to learn to follow the process early. Like Mel Gibson's character in The Patriot said, 'aim small, miss small'.

About Post Author