Several events in recent times have proven to us as a nation that we are indeed in a crucial phase of our collective life. Conspicuous symptoms of abject poverty, skyrocketing unemployment rate, accelerating inflation and it attendant woes shows the nation is on life support and would catastrophically collapse if no drastic action is taken to imminently arrest the situation.
Certainly, the nation is terribly lacking in many ingredients that crystalize a formidable and prosperous nation. There is news of brazen corruption here and there. Unaccountable leaders have cunningly found their way to the helm of affairs and the people are consequently groaning in pains and poverty. It seems the set of leaders that are currently leading have run out of ideas and creativity to decisively tackle our perennial problems.
Consequently, necessity calls on the youths to lend their vigour and modern know-how to take up the responsibility and chart a new and prosperous course for our dear nation. This is an enormous and painstaking task which only can be achieved through critical and empathetic evaluation of our current state, rigorous planning and selfless implementation of transformative politics and policy.
The book “The Competent Youth” by James Useghan reflects on the life of an exemplary youth who defies all odds to emerge as a competent and trustworthy personality that can be trusted with critical leadership position. Confronted by the desecrating and demonizing pang of poverty, he never succumbed to the negative dictate of his environment. He did not only emerge with a golden crest of honour, he had also proven himself worthy in various capacities as one who could lead Nigeria out of her self-inflicted woes.
I believe there are many youths like him, yet unknown. Bruised but not broken. Boiled through personal development and transformation to form an indomitable character and still yet boiling with patriotism and altruism. People who are ready to offer themselves sacrificially to lead with courage and conviction in other to achieve a better society. Only when they try would there be a change in the life of all.
Like Robert Kennedy rightly said “Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total; of all those acts will be written the history of this generation (sic)”. This is what James Useghan is preaching in his book and he is inviting all youths to synergize and collectively forge ahead to write a victorious history of abundance, prosperity and happiness for our dear nation.
First Massive Literari (FML) provides the platform and we stretch out our hands to all and sundry, who shares our ideology of leading Nigeria to a peaceful and prosperous harbour. Let’s meet at “The Competent Youths” symposium at Oriental Hotel on the 6th day of February, 2021 to talk more on the possibility of shaping our nation’s history together.
AYANNIYI Taiwo James
National PRO:
First Massive Literati
