This year’s ministerial screening got everyone watching. It can be argued that never in Nigeria has so much attention been given to the ministerial screening.
In fact, this argument can be taken a little farther to say that since the pre-election period that brought this present government into power, Nigerians have gotten more active in politics – not just many Nigerians, but also the Nigerian youths.
Before now, what was obtainable was that political matters, like the nine o’clock news, were the exclusive concern of those with a little grey in their hair.
Meanwhile, the younger and, maybe stronger ones, were getting enchanted with Hollywood, Nollywood, Bollywood and all the other woods that try enough to spring up in their very fertile minds.
But change came even before the politicians promised it. One could posit that this active political participation presently found in the youths can be attributed to the power they are given by the social media. They may not sit through the whole nine o’clock news, but they could listen to the headlines to share them on their social media pages or handles and read them up from there later.
They became not just spectators but participants. The social media offered them a platform to air their unadulterated, unedited, uncensored views without fear or favor in any sense. Where what they had to say was controversial, they hid under the anonymous umbrella the social media platforms provided. Interestingly, they became not just the audience of the news but also the creators of the news – the traditional media now has to check for hash tags and trends to know the hottest news of the day.
For the ministerial screening procedures, the social media was brimming with many commentaries every step of the way. It was the youths on social media that decided that Fashola had offered intelligent answers to his questions, that Amaechi could not define corruption.
It was also the social media that clamored that when the presidency took over four months to present its first ministerial list, we expected that this soup that had taken so long to prepare would be such that we had never tasted before. You can then imagine our disappointment when it was served and we saw that it was the same ‘okporoko’ from the East, ‘pomo’ from the west and ‘nama’ from the north as we have always been used to.
We also noticed that it was possible that the media aide had given a voice to Mr. President’s thoughts that “mental age” was more important than “birth age”. For more proof, we are yet to see any plans or actions of Mr. President that directly involves the youth. That would be another discourse on a later date.
Be that as it may, the presidency and the government as a whole, must recognize that there is an ongoing birth of the fifth estate of the realm. Unlike the fourth estate, they would give their opinions, sought or unsought, of all the other estates with maybe less civility and more concern for what they think is right.
The government as a whole must learn that especially as non-political office holders, the fifth estate, being the largest of all estates, is that voice of God said to be in the voice of the people. Though they may not sit in the gallery, they would not fail to scream their nay or yay on all political matters, no matter how seemingly trivial.
The government should refer to history and be reminded that it was in their youthful age that the likes of Azikiwe, Balewa, Awolowo, Saro Wiwa and a host of others fought the early wars for a great Nigeria. From there, the government should be properly advised that where they fail to bring the over flogged change to the people, this fifth estate is prepping to bring change to them.
If it is true that no government succeeds without the support of its people, then this government must learn that it cannot succeed without giving due priority to this fifth estate. Every people get the kind of government they deserve.
This new fifth estate has decided that national decisions would no longer be screened on the ideologies of political parties but on the primary factor of their dream Nigeria. Any government that fails to recognize this would be taught that the people is the government and it is therefore guilty of treason.
By Joy Oforka (Research and Sociopolitical Analyst, DPA)
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