Yesterday in Akure, the Ondo State Government pulled off what it branded as an “interactive session” with the Governor. One would think it was a town hall of ideas and civic engagement until you actually looked at the makeup of the crowd and the real purpose of the gathering. Still, let’s give them half a star for effort. After all, anything that vaguely resembles democracy in Ondo these days deserves a round of applause.
Now, the real headline from the event wasn’t the regurgitated rhetoric or the carefully rehearsed praise-singing, it was Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s earth-shaking announcement that he might, possibly, someday, appoint a youth as a commissioner. Imagine that. Fourteen months of uninspired governance and the biggest legacy yet is the promise of giving one young person a seat at the table. Quite magnanimous.
Of a truth, in the entire South West, no state matches Ondo’s track record in excluding young people from meaningful political participation. We have perfected the art of using the youth as glorified errand boys, media aides, and foot soldiers during campaigns, only to dump them when it’s time to share real power. Beyond the SSAs on Youths and Students (which, honestly, is more symbolic than substantial), young people in Ondo have had absolutely nothing tangible to show for our loyalty or brilliance.
So now that the Governor has dangled the carrot of a commissioner slot for a youth, just one, it falls to members of his party, the APC, to hold him accountable. Because if there’s one thing this administration has mastered, it’s the noble act of promising what it never intends to deliver. The Governor’s lip service to youth development is already the stuff of legend; let’s hope this new promise doesn’t become yet another chapter in that tired story.
Until then, we wait, albeit with cautious optimism and a healthy dose of sarcasm. After all, hope is the only thing Ondo youths haven’t been taxed for, just yet.
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