Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Wednesday charged African youths to phase out old generation of leaders in the continent.
Obasanjo, who spoke while delivering a keynote address at an interactive session held virtually to mark this year’s International Youth Day, called on the young generation to take over leadership positions by “squeezing older generation out of office.”
The event was organised by the Youth Development Centre, an arm of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Oke – Mosan, Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital.
The former President also asked the youths to demand affirmative action enshrined in the constitution of political parties, as part of a gradual process to occupying leadership positions.
Participants of the meeting were drawn from Nigeria, Mali, USA, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa.
In Obasanjo’s view, unless the old generation of leaders are forced out of the stage, they would continue to occupy the leadership positions.
“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,” he said.
The former President also told the youths that they could influence the change by participating actively in political parties.
He submitted that it is easier to influence changes at the party level rather than governmental level.
Obasanjo said, “The type of change I am talking about, that I believe we can all embark upon is to subscribe into the constitution of political parties in favour of youth. 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 percent of those who hold executive office within the party will be less than 40 years of age.”
“You are just making sure that people that are 40 years of age will hold 50 percent of executive office within the political party.
“You can even go beyond that and say that people who will be put up for election, not less than 50 percent of them, will be less than 40 years of age. That’s affirmative action. That’s positive discrimination in favour of youths.
“I am saying this because if you leave it entirely for people to do it for you, nobody will do it for you. You have to do it for yourself.”
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