One of the aftermaths of the misrule by the Evil genius, Ibrahim Babangida was the elevation of all forms of crime. This was the era where drugs, gun running and financial crimes via the fax machine before the advent of cybercrime was elevated to the apogee. The likes of Barrister Frederick Chijundu Ajudua, Alumile Adedeji a.ka. Ade Bendel, Maurice Ibekwe, Sir Anajemba and so on gained notoriety internationally. This gave the nation a terrible international image and trusts the foreign media to demonise all Nigerians. It became a thing of monumental shame to carry a Nigerian passport as her nationals were subjected to all forms of dehumanising searches in foreign airports with the use of sniff dogs in some cases.

In the midst of the myriad of challenges, three young people – Chude Jideonwo, Adebola Williams and Emilia Asim-Ita though she later opted out after some time decided to showcase the positive contributions made by young people both in Nigeria and the Diaspora. The beginnings were rough but they trudged on like sturdy soldiers bent on making a mindset change amidst the daunting odds which were enough to break the heart of a lion especially as they were domiciled in a third world cannibalistic jungle which tended to send its brightest of minds to economic exile.

Their persistence paid off as they got accepted by the corporate world, youths, international donor agencies, media, government and other relevant stakeholders which proved the “can-do-spirit” of an average Nigerian. It is something looked forward to on an annual basis by productive youths who place a high premium on it because of the prestige it confers on its recipients.

For the first six years, it was entirely a Nigerian affair. Forbes Magazine described it as ‘Nigeria’s most important awards for outstanding young Nigerians. The World Bank aptly described it as ‘the Nobel prize for young Africans.’  This must have made the promoters put their thinking caps on and devised a strategy to make it live up to the endorsement by making it a continental affair. The partnership with the African Union is a clear testimony of its acceptance across the length and breadth of the continent. It has been accepted by the likes of the British Council, the United States Government, Ministry of Youth Development and Presidency. Prominent Nigerians like President Goodluck Jonathan, the Minister for Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Oby Ezekwisili, Tony Elumelu, Bolaji Abdullahi, Pat Utomi and a couple of others have publicly identified with it which has given a tremendous boost to its brand. It was no surprise that Chude Jideonwo and Adebola Williams were recognised by Forbes in the under 30 entrepreneur category. It buttresses the age old cliché that ideas rule the world which has proven over and over again to be true.

As usual with such resounding successes, it is bound to attract criticisms as envy cannot be ruled out in the affairs of mortals. One of such has to do with regards to the age range which is between 18 and 31. On a personal note, the organisers are making a profound statement that it is not too young for young too dream and take ones destiny in ones hands without resorting to self pity and sterile lamentation that has unfortunately become the lot of many youths. The example of the nine year old Jomiloju Tunde Oladipo, the youngest Microsoft Certified Professional may make them reduce the age in future. The youths should take absolute charge of their lives and run it like their Chief Executives without making excuses – the usual pedestrian ones of blaming their woes on the failed state and the reduction of such a great nation to something worse than a banana republic. Who knows if the young lad was inspired by any of the past winners?

The level of intellectualism in the country has tragically been on a steep decline no thanks to the locust years of the military who had a disdain for hapless poor intellectuals as a result of their deep rooted inferiority complex. A consequence of that is many young Nigerians took refuge in soft sell magazines, gossips, rumours and everything anti intellectual.

A hallmark of an intellectual is the confidence to boldly express opinions even when it means swimming against the current. This played itself out when the Senate criminalised same sex unions in 2011. He innocuously wrote his views on the website of the Cable News Network that he wondered why the Senators devoted so much time to the bill when there were pressing issues such as the massive youth unemployment, poverty, hunger, gargantuan corruption which elicit national interest and calls to question the reason for their being there in the first place. He received a barrage of insults ironically from the youths who suffer the brunt of poor leadership that he was a homosexual supporter and a western quisling among other asinine missiles.

Firstly, the reason for our underdevelopment is not as a result of homosexual behaviour and the solution is certainly not in exhibiting a homophobic attitude. Burning national issues are left to rot while the highest echelon of the law making body devotes ample time to harass people who never contributed to the woes of the hoi polloi. Corruption and Poor Leadership is the root cause of our present status as a failed state. Public universities have been shut down for four months while the supervising minister in charge of it was spared in the cabinet reshuffle; lives are being lost in air crashes and the Minister in charge attributes it to an act of God and she still sits pretty well in office. These issues do not matter to our legislators.

Secondly, there was the reaction to the arm twisting strategy by British Prime Minister David Cameron over threats to withdraw foreign aid to African countries that don’t decriminalise it. The leaders are merely reaping the fruits of inept leadership. If they had been responsible, Africa would not need foreign aid after over fifty years of political independence. Asians countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, China, Japan and the Middle East don’t have homosexual friendly laws. Why didn’t Cameron bully them on the basis of foreign aid? Your guess is as good as mine! The responsible leadership they were fortunate to possess didn’t put them in a position of foreign aid dependence. They have a bargaining chip for their sovereignty to be respected if that’s what hypocritical African leaders are being so concerned about. Mahathir Mohammed in the heat of the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997 refused to take a loan from the International Monetary Fund. He was brutally pilloried in the western media. Didn’t the same IMF eat their words? That is the kind of responsible leadership Africa needs! A leadership that can pitch its tent with her people and not one that mercilessly rapes them. Why such ample national attention given to the same sex marriage bill can’t be given to issues that constitute the right of all and sundry in adherence to the social contract theory which the visionary John Locke espoused? Will the grinding hunger and despondency be cured by killing homosexuals?

Thirdly, contrary to what many people think. Homosexuality is not a western import. Though it is a taboo in Africa, its prevalence especially in the northern part of the country portends a long historical antecedent. It is ironic that the preoccupation of one of them is to endanger the future of starry eyed girls by forcefully making wives of them. Isn’t this against the tenets of sustainable development?

Fourthly, religious leaders have largely failed the nation. The overthrow of the despotic Ferdinand Marcus of the Philippines was largely made possible by the Roman Catholic Church. Don’t religious leaders scramble to be the official chaplain of the seat of power? Don’t politicians openly hobnob with them even when it comes to their launching of private jets? One is not amazed that the bribe of a Church was given to Jonathan by an Italian firm. The Nigerians of Europe were wily enough to see the nexus between the Church and State. How many offer constructive criticisms? How many blast them for their corrupt practices?

Fifthly, the same sex bill is a mere diversion as is the norm with our bankrupt leadership. We still recall the Human Rights Violation Investigation Commission popularly known as the Oputa Panel, the Confab in 2005 which surreptitiously sought to elongate Obasanjo’s tenure in office. The clueless leaders are merely appealing to religious sentiments to further hoodwink the ever gullible masses.

During a recent protest largely spearheaded by the Enough is Enough group which Jideonwo initially pioneered, a senator from the south east showed an old pay slip. Isn’t that part of corruption? Why should the closest representatives of the people be the ones bleeding them dry so much so they are the second highest paid in the world second only to Australia.

It is a milestone that the Future Awards is now a continental affair and we hope African youths can use it as an effective platform to advance solutions that will move the continent forward instead of following the erroneous footsteps of our fathers to valiantly chase shadows. Let us dream of a continent when the need to debate on homosexuality won’t even arise in the first place as thorny national issues will take the front burner. That is only truly when our sovereignty wouldn’t end up as a debatable ruse. Lets dream of a continent where the legislators express the wishes of the people – an already conservative bloc wouldn’t want their best wishes expressed in a debate on homosexuality to the detriment of the sorrow, tears and blood they pass through on a daily basis – their crime – being Nigerian.

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