Nigeria as a country is a mystery to some people all hope is lost, while to others, they are waiting to see if their hope is worth the renewal. The big question on the lips of everyone is, ‘who shall save Nigeria?’ Electing credible and reasonable candidates for leadership is the first step of a thousand miles in solving this problem. Many names have been penciled down for the position of Minister for Youth and Sports, however, finding an individual who puts his nation first is not only paramount, but urgently necessary. Nigeria is blessed with array of qualified persons, but I can confidently state that none has the attributes of Tunde Eso – a selfless man who would go to any length to ensure the path of this country is straightened.

Far back as 2008, Tunde Eso expressed his vision in the Sunday Guardian on Nigeria becoming the mother of all nations. I also read about Tunde Eso in The Guardian Newspaper dated August 14, 2019, on opinion page 20, with the topic ‘Tunde Eso deserves a Nobel Laureate Prize’, written by a promising lady Maryann Iberuche who I investigated to be a journalist. May God bless Maryann for her thoughtfulness on Tunde Eso, the proponent of Youthocracy (government of the people, by the youth and for the people).

However, my disgruntlednes with the article is that Tunde Eso is better needed as the next and first youthocratic Minister for Youth and Sports of the Federal Republic of Nigeria this 2023, or rather deserves both for the sake of mankind.

Eso has long established himself as a visionary and stuck to that feat for over two decades ; talking, working and walking the pursuit without selfish interest. One would wonder why I maintain Tunde Eso deserves this position. I did a strong background check up on Tunde Eso and discovered that he is a man with integrity, dexterity of purpose and maintenance of a moving vision.

My apologies to Tunde if he feels embarrassed, but this article is aimed at buttressing his giant strides, and appreciating his relentless agility for a generational shift in vision, and display of integrity. Eso is a young man who is first in many ways of positively affecting humanity.

In our nation’s political history, Eso gave free campaign advertorial to about one thousand youth under the age of forty, contesting between 2017 and 2019 elections from local government councilorship, local government chairmanship, house of assembly, the house of representatives, senate, governorship to the presidency irrespective of their political affiliations, states or tribes, while he was governorship aspirant in Osun state. If you doubt this fact, check www.findoutnewspaper.blogspot.com. It was an incredible feat, and I await who will surpass this stride.

As a Journalist and social commentator, apart from the fact that his byline appears in different newspapers, his opinions are not left out. And here is a little proof of his intriguing topics to ensure pragmatic change in the polity and beyond; The Guardian: Politics is not business, but serving field ( March 14, 2023 page 12) – Vote a candidate, not the political party ( Feb 14, 2023 page 16)- Now that Nigeria is 62 ( Nov 16, 2022) – My vision for a new Nigeria ( 01, August, 2022, page 12)- Mother Nigeria (May 14, 2021, page 12)-The type of change Nigeria needs (January 5,2021, page 12) -COVID-19 lockdown: what govt can do to help citizens (April 1, 2020-page 12) Revolution is needed in Nigeria (August 18, 2019 page 12), Solving Nigeria’s Insecurity Challenges with Youth Integration (March 19, 2015, back page),- ‘Misuse of drugs among students’ (Feb. 8-14, 2009-page 59),-‘Obama the pride of black race’ (Nov 30-6 Dec 2008- page 52) –‘Youth and Democracy’ (Dec 7-13, 2008-page 52),- ‘Sorry’ (April 19-25, 2009-page 53),- ‘My hope’ (March 22-28, 2009-page 54).The Punch:-Promoting national development through good leadership (Nov 21^st, 2022 page 26)-Youths and 2019 Elections (Sept 20, 2018) –‘Enough of these encomiums (Jan 25, 2015) page 50),-‘Nigeria will be great again’ (Nov 30, 2014- page 71),- ‘Civil Society Groups’’ (Sep. 1, 2013-page 69),- ‘Youths are frustrated’ (March 8, 2005-page 17), - ‘Independence anniversary: nothing to cheer at 45’ (Sept. 30, 2005-page 17), - ‘How many Nigerians see hope?’ (Jan 26, 2005).Findout Newspaper:- Revolution is needed in Nigeria – January 2019,-Recession, Politics and Nigerian youths: what option? 2016-,-African Heroes Awake 2018. Daily Independent: ‘-To save my generation’ (Jan 31th, 2005). Nigerian Tribune: African leaders, arise (April 3, 2020- page 10), Issues against agriculture, farmers (January 10, 2020-page 14) ‘African Heroes Awake (Feb. 25, 2019), ‘Electricity for Nigerians (Jan 14, 2019 ) –‘A cry from the masses’ (Jan 11, 2019-page 14),-‘Towards a better Nigeria’ (Jan 11, 2010- page 16),-‘Nigeria: need for Change’ (Feb. 2, 2009- page 12).,-‘Nigeria and it’s hidden treasures’ (Feb. 5, 2009- page 16),-‘Youths Lets Arise’ 2012-‘A fool at 49’ (Oct. 14, 2009- page 16),-‘Attention!!! Nigerian Youth’. Thisday: - ‘The type of change Nigeria Needs’ (Feb. 8, 2009-page 24)-Findout Newspaper:-Now that Nigeria is 62 ( Nov 2022)- My vision for a new Nigeria (August 2022)- Revolution is needed in Nigeria– (January 2019)-Recession, Politics and Nigerian youths: what option? 2016—African Heroes Awake 2018. -The Nation: - ‘Indecent dressing among students’ (June 5, 2008-page 26), - ‘What have you said? (July 17, 2008-page 26) – ‘Season of change’ (Oct. 2, 2008- page 27)Blueprint: A cry from the masses’ (March 2, 2019). Others: - Nigeria: the way forward (2002)-pamphlet. – Functional youths (2002)-pamphlet. – The place of love in a democracy 1-4 (1999-2001)-Pamphlet. Eso has worked for The Guardian, News of The World Newspaper and Newswatch Times and Founder. Professional School of Public Relations among others.

Tunde Eso, as an exemplary leader, has carefully studied the African society at large, and came up with a conclusion that the future of Africa is in the hands of its youth. He further provided ways through which his African vision can be attained and safeguarded.

To throw more light on the above, Eso wrote a book titled “Vision for Africa”. Taking Nigeria as a case study, the youth have enlarged their scope and ways of doing things, which is why we have “Not too young to run”, “Nigerian youth decide” and many others. Irrespective of the nomenclature of these political reformists, one can argue that the book, Vision for Africa, spured the interest of many 21^st century Nigerian youth in governance, because the book had been in existence long before all these reformist concepts were birthed.

Therefore, with the aforementioned, Tunde Eso, at least, deserves to be the Osun Commissioner for Youth and Sports under Senator Ademola Adeleke, whom he tiredlessly campaigned for. The president-elect should consider Tunde Eso’s appointment, having doggedly mobilised and educated the youth and the old for a better Nigeria.

When I watched a documentary on Tunde Eso, serving as a lecturer in one of the polytechnic in Nigeria, after he returned from the Osun State governorship race in 2018 which did not favour him, I quickly put a call across to him.

He told me he took up the teaching job to further logically entrench Youthocracy. “At first, the polytechnic said I was too big to work with them because they couldn’t pay me, and I replied that, I’m not here because of the monthly salaries, but to further, use this venue to impact knowledge and project youthocracy, then they complied.” He said.

Eso, as the president of Fix Nigeria Group, which he started thirteen years ago with school to school career talks, where he went about educating young ones in schools on nation building, career clinic and choice, while also distributing the Nigeria flag to them freely to strengthen belief in their fatherland. That endeavor later metamorphosed into Fix Nigeria Group nine years ago, where he moved around higher institutions across the country and beyond to galvanise the consciousness of the progressive-minded Nigerian youth towards taking their destinies in their hands politically, economically and socially in Nigeria.

More so, he used the avenue to promote and advocate social inclusion, social justice, and injection of new political ideas for educational growth, Industrial revolution and peace building. It was this feat that propelled him to coin a new system of government called Youthocracy.

He said In one of his interviews that, he had coined youthocracy defined as government of the people, by the youth and for the people. He argued that the youth had been advocating for leadership shift, and for them to achieve it, they must identify themselves with a concept, That was why he formed Youthocracy.

Tunde Eso’s accomplishments are unbeatable among his peers. As I have watched him during several television interviews emphasizing that, if we fix electricity in Nigeria, we have fixed a significant percentage of our problems. Meanwhile, he maintains that a nation that rejects the intellectuals in leadership will enjoy a high level of poverty.

I saw him at the University of Abuja, where ten universities came together to award him as the Youth Advocate of the Year 2017, and there, Eso noted that politics is the field that decides our living conditions, if left alone, decisions will be made and they affect our being thereafter. He stated that Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama and several others never saved millions to become president of their countries, but they promoted ideologies that were supported by the people. Therefore, he encouraged the youth to have vision, and pursue pragmatic ideas, then things would be easier.

While on Voice of Nigeria Abuja in 2018, he advised Nigerian youth to shun apathy, venture into politics to contribute their quota to the development of our dear country to make Nigeria great again.

Fellow countrymen and women, let us be part of this forthcoming historical change, by standing up and joining hands to fix Nigeria.

Obviously, whichever path you choose today, will be accounted for you in the future. If you diligently read along the trajectory of Man, several people in the world from all walks of life had prophesied to their lives, families, nations and institutions they belonged to. Many of such prophesies eventually came to pass – either good or bad.

For the sake of mankind, what have you said? God told us that life and death is in the power of the tongue. Those who use it well benefit from it. Let us all join our voices to make Nigeria great again by choosing quality over quantity.

•Seun Adesoye, Youth Leader, Fix Nigeria Group Ogun State, can be reached via seunshoye@yahoo.com

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