By Abdul-Azeez Abbah Sulaiman
Governance is said to be inclusive when it effectively serves and engages all people; takes into account gender and other facets of personal identity; and when institutions, policies, processes and services are accessible, accountable and responsive to all members of society.
Fostering governance that is inclusive is essential to advancing democratic values, including peaceful pluralism and respect for diversity, human rights and equality before the law.
Mere looking at the names on the list of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Presidential Transition Committee is enough to give one the satisfaction that the president-elect intends to run an inclusive government.
By giving consideration to the plural nature of the Nigerian society in making his nominations, is proof enough that Tinubu will lead an administration that is about ensuring that everyone feels valued and respected as an individual.
Yes, weeks to formal swearing-in, the president-elect has already taken steps in the direction of inclusiveness by embracing inclusivity and diversity in the quality of the many different types of people of all regions, tribes, gender, age and religions and treating them all fairly and equally.
A passionate believer of the organic links between generations, always available for young people, Tinubu’s transition committee list has stood him out as a great statesman a mentor, a guardian, a living history and an embodiment of all the exemplary qualities young Nigerians should strive to achieve.
Essentially, the list is made up of Nigerians of all faith and all ethnic groups who feel they have a major role to play in rescuing the nation from the margins of irrelevance, impotence, inconsequence and decay.
Commendably, in addition to involving every significant component of Nigerian society, the intelligentsia, community leaders, as well as the business community and bring them into the mainstream of his activities, the President-Elect has nominated a significant number of young people with a sizeable number of women to take prominent roles in the Committee.
Committee members such as Hon. Stella Okotete, Mr. Makinde Araoye, Dr. Betta Edu, Samira Saddik, Abuh Andrew Abuh, Hajiya Hadiza Mohammed Kabir, and Donald Wokoma are all young men and women with proven records of being respectful and passionate about sharing Tinubu’s values, visions and strategies for dealing with issues that affect national interests on security, on the economy, and on the manner Nigerians relate with fellow Nigerians.
To reciprocate this gesture, Nigerian youth must collaborate strongly with the incoming Tinubu administration in upholding the principle that unity is the foundation of Nigeria’s corporate existence; diversity is part of our DNA and hardwork, honesty and service to God and the community are the virtues that have been bequeathed to us.
The youth must cash into Tinubu’s noble ideals of making massive sacrifices to keep the nation united and push it past critical turning points when national survival is threatened.
But they cannot do this well unless they realize truly that Tinubu is genuinely committed to work to solve our basic socio-cultural problems, our regressing economy and address our precarious future.
They should support the incoming president in his commitment to reducing youth unemployment, insecurity and poverty.
The youth must work with Tinubu to change our political culture from one that serves the leader, to one which creates leaders that serve the people.
With Asiwaju, they can understand the nature of Nigeria’s decaying economy and learn trades and skills that will rebuild its foundations. But they must seize the opportunity provided by the Asiwaju for them to acquire quality and honest education of all kinds, because you cannot lead if you are both a cheat and a glorified illiterate. Knowledge is the foundation of good leadership, and it has no shortcuts.
As the youth prepare to participate in the progressive journey of sustainable national development under Tinubu, they must as well accept his key driving force that Nigeria is the Nigeria of Muslims and Christians, of the largest and the tiniest ethnic groups, of the weak and the strong. It is God’s creation, planned by Him to be big, bountiful and compassionate.
