Obasanjo wants old people out of govt

Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo has asked African youths to send old generation politicians away from leadership positions.

Obasanjo advised the youths to participate actively in political activities with a view to taking over the structures of governance from the older generation.

Obasanjo spoke while delivering a keynote address at an interactive session held virtually as part of activities to mark this year’s International Youth Day.

The programme was organised by the Youth Development Centre, an arm of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

Participants were drawn from Nigeria, Mali, USA, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa.

According to him, unless old people are forced out of the political stage, they will continue to occupy  the leadership positions to  the detriment of the youths.

Obasanjo said “Unless you squeeze out those who are in office and those who want to remain in office perpetually, some after the age of 80, unless you squeeze them out, they will not want to be out.

“The type of change I am talking about, that I believe we can all embark upon is to subscribe to the constitution of political parties in favour of youths. Or if you like it you call it affirmative action in favour of youths. For instance, if you say, in the constitution of a political party, not less than 50 per cent of those who hold executive office within the party will be less than 40 years.

“You can even go beyond that and say that people who will be put up for election, not less than 50 per cent of them will be less than 40 years of age. That’s affirmative action. That’s positive discrimination in favour of youths.