by Osato Edokpayi

“Corruption and hypocrisy ought not to be inevitable products of democracy as they undoubtedly are today.” – Mahatma Ghandi.

Today, our country is at a crossroads. Every sector of our economy – every aspect of the life of the ordinary Nigerian is plagued with several challenges. Of course, this is not news. While those primarily responsible for catering to our myriad of problems are distracted, or rather more concerned with the daily looting of our treasury for their self-perpetuation in power, you and I continue to yearn for true leadership.

Only recently on Easter Sunday, President Goodluck Jonathan experienced first-hand for the first time in a long time, what millions of Nigerians who elected him to office have been enduring on a daily basis. The Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) – one of those institutions that have become synonymous with the failure of the Nigerian dream – was unable to keep up appearances for President Jonathan’s visit to a church in Lagos on Easter Sunday. The lights went out midway into the president’s speech, undoubtedly causing him great embarrassment only a few weeks after he announced to the world on CNN that his government was making considerable gains in the power sector.

From dragging its foot over fixing power to overseeing the unprecedented looting and wastage of our proceeds from the petroleum industry, this government continues to demonstrate that the welfare of the every Nigerian is really not its priority. When it takes a former president of this country and a chieftain of the ruling party to point out the “time bomb” that is the rising unemployment level, especially among young Nigerians to the present government, you get a sense of exactly where the priorities of the Jonathan administration lie.

For example, while I agree that agriculture could do a lot to reduce unemployment in the country today, it should, however, not be seen as the lynchpin in a grand plan to curb rising unemployment levels. While policies should be focused on improving agricultural technology, in line with global best practices, this government keeps touting the sector as one which must absorb millions of unemployed youth; rehashing  policies from the 70’s. The policy makers fail to take into cognizance the importance of other sectors of the economy to the overall growth and development of our country. In addition to agriculture, there are other ways to diversify our economy and reduce unemployment – from the revival of the manufacturing sector to making investments in science and encouraging foreign investments in areas such as solid minerals. Unfortunately, they just don’t seem to get it.

This is one of the many reasons why we yearn for a change. The system currently in place has been designed to perpetuate mediocrity at all levels of government. This must end soon. Young people must be at the forefront of the change we want to see in our country. We need more than a few incorruptible men whom we can trust with the destiny of our country come 2015 and beyond. No opposition party in the country can take a good shot at the ruling party and defeat it without a dynamic and determined youth base. What we require is the active involvement of young Nigerians in the political process who would actively participate in drafting a better future for us all.

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Osato Edokpayi is an ardent believer in the Nigerian state that serves only the interest of its citizens. He is a keen observer of Edo State politics with particular interest in the political activities of the Action Congress of Nigeria in Edo State.

Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.