Itse Sagay, Chairman of the of the Presidential Advisory Committee
against Corruption (PACAC), has dismissed calls that youths will perform
better than older people if given the opportunity to become President
of Nigeria.
Sagaya warned that Nigeria may regret having a youth as president
because they would be embarking on a dangerous journey if elected.
Speaking with Daily Independent, on Monday, the PACAC chairman
contended that there was no evidence backing the claim that youths were
better than elders in leadership.
According to Sagay, those thinking that youths would perform better
in positions of authority in Nigeria were being shallow-minded.
Sagay said, “Number one: it is shallow-thinking for anyone to think
that if a youth becomes president, he will do better than the older one.
“It is very shallow thinking because, as I see it, it is the youths
of Nigeria today who believe in overnight wealth, who want billions
overnight, who don’t want to work for their living and gradually build
up their assets and business.
“That psychology of overnight wealth is almost exclusively a youth
attribute.
“Number two: who is stopping the youths? All these people who
are advocating that the youths should take over are in essence saying
the older ones should just call the youths and say ‘come and take power.
“If you want power, you work for it. You are not going to sit down in
your sitting room and somebody will bring power to you. Let them join
the fray.”