A former governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke has linked the systemic failure of the country to the mentality of seeing politics as a means of livelihood, rather than a means of service.
He said another pitfall of Nigeria was never preparing the next generation for leadership which led the country to civil war and other calamities.
Duke stated these at the 2024 Teens Conference with the theme: “The Power of Music” organised by the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Everlasting Arms Parish, Garki in Abuja.
He emphasised that if Nigerians begin to see politics as a means of service and politicians become role models and create hope, the younger generation will be confident that their tomorrow will be better than today.
“Ufortunately, when I look at the horizon, I don’t see the political class ready for that. They think of themselves. But anyone that has common sense will know what they call enlightened self interest. When Christ said, love thy neighbour as thyself, it’s enlightened self interest, because what you do for your neighbor, if your neighbor is hungry, you are threatened.”
On the present socioeconomic challenges, he said; “You know why you’re having inflation. High energy. So if the cost of energy, fuel goes up, inflation will go up, because you’re going to transport your food, you’re going to transport other people. I’m just giving you that as an example.”
On his part, the Pastor-in-charge of the Parish, Evaristus Azodoh said the conference aimed at providing teenagers with people they can have as role models that can be decent and normal.
“We want them to have people who have by dint of hard work and integrity have achieved what they achieved in life so that people can look at them and know that by hard work and honest work and integrity you can succeed. That is the purpose, we want to give them those role models and that’s what we have done.
“Our children must have people they can look up and they will give them the zeal to try to make something for themselves. I’m saddened by the fact that today our children don’t think about Nigeria. They think of going abroad. Nigeria is a great country. There’s so much in this country. Nigeria can yet to be better, but with honest and integrity in position from the lowest position from cleaner to the President. That’s what we need for Nigeria to become, better,” he said.
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