Mohammed Dahiru Aminu
I must commend my brother, ‘Tope Fasua, an economist and CEO of Global Analytics Consulting, for unveiling a much awaited political party and youth movement named Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP). Given the present situation in which we have found ourselves in Nigeria, it is not out of place to advance an argument for the formation of a new political party. Perhaps there was no better time in the history of our nation when the need for a new political movement speaks for itself than now. Like all political changes in the world, it is the intense pressure of necessity that motivated the creation of the ANRP as a new movement.
On a personal note, I felt the utmost need to partake in this new party because of the many years of failed leadership that I have witnessed ever since I was born in Nigeria exactly three decades ago. During these times, I have seen Nigerians grapple with one failed leadership after another, and for people of my age, the only time Nigeria was good can be found in the narratives of our parents and those within similar age brackets.
Of course some people might argue that unlike most times in the past, this time, Nigeria has gotten a leadership with some appreciable level of integrity.
But whatever the integrity (or what is left of it) of the present group of leaders currently managing (and mismanaging) Nigeria, what is certain is that their emergence yet again is a throwback to our past as a nation. It is a confirmation that after three or four decades or more years, Nigeria has not been able to unshackle itself from the trappings of power in the hands of the old, the clueless, the docile, and more unfortunately, the corrupt.
In a recent article, “RIGHT OF REPLY: Do We Need a New Political Party Now?”, published in PREMIUM TIMES on December 26, 2016, ‘Tope Fasua briefly explained some of the reasons for the formation of the ANRP. The following are a summary of these reasons:
The ANRP is a green party, just as there are similar parties in other African countries such as South Africa, Kenya, Mali, Guinea, Somalia, etc. Before the ANRP, Nigeria had no party that identified seriously with the environment. Political parties were never fully committed to the ideals of environmental sustainability, and because of such non-commitment, our environment advertises our inability to foresee any future consequences of our present actions. The ANRP is committed to the ideals of sustainability and it aims to achieve the sustainable development goals as a key deliverable; since without a sustainable environment, there cannot be viable and robust opportunities for business and employment in Nigeria.
An informed study of modern Nigerian history would reveal to us that Nigeria’s founding fathers such as Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe, etc., formed political parties while in their youthful ages. In today’s Nigeria, we have not had an opportunity to come together as a mass of youth to form a coalition that would metamorphose into a political party that speaks for our collective conscience. We have seen how our generation have been pushed aside by the very old people in our country who brought us to the unfortunate place we presently are in. Given the youthful population as constituting a critical mass of the voting public, this is the right time for the youth of our generation to take over the affairs of Nigeria and move it forward from its position of potentials to that of actuality.
The ANRP is a party of new ideas, which are radically different from the often counterproductive ideas with which Nigeria has been run in the past several decades. It is not out of place to recognise the fact that the old ideas with which the country ran for decades failed to be solutions-driven. This party is one that would provide opportunities for the young, and the often marginalised, to take part in the way Nigeria is managed. Young people will be encouraged to run for political offices within the stipulated conditions laid out by the constitution, and without prejudice to members who are advanced in age.
As a consequence of the economic misery we have found ourselves in today, it is only instructive that we partake in stopping the continued downward plunge that the badly managed economy is taking us to. It is high time we tried something new; something original; something altruistic and methodical, in saving the political economy of Nigeria.
There is no better time than now. Because of how aggrieved a lot of Nigerians are, given government’s ineptitude, it seems that very many of us yearn for an opportunity to express ourselves and to forge ahead by trying out something different from what was done in the past. To achieve this, we must not resort to using people who created problems for us to cleanse us of such problems.
Lastly, there is no better time to establish and nurture a political party than now. For the next two years before the elections, there will be ample time to field good people for the 2019 elections. Therefore, here is a call to all good people with great ideas and leadership potentials to join the ANRP. The ANRP needs your youth and experience for an unbiased fight against corruption. For zero hunger and reduced poverty. For good health and wellbeing. For quality education. For gender equality. For clean water and sanitation. For decent work and economic growth.
For sustainable cities and communities. For responsible consumption and production. For climate action. For life below water and life on land. For peace, justice and strong institutions, etc. The power to do all these is in your hands. You have the power to reverse the awful trend that our country is faced with. You have the power to reverse the heaviest penalty, which (as described by Plato) shows that by declining to rule, you will be ruled by people inferior to you. Say not to inferior people and inferior leaderships, and be a member of the ANRP for a greater Nigeria.
Aminu ([email protected]/@mdaminu) wrote from Bedford, England.
