Donald Duke, a former governor of Cross River, says a lot of quacks involved in politics in Nigeria have brought it to the lowest level.
Duke spoke in Abuja on Saturday on the sidelines of the 2024 teens career conference titled ‘The power of music’.
The conference was organised by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG)—The Everlasting Arm Parish, Garki.
Duke urged the political class to make concerted efforts to restore the hope and pride of youths in the country.
The former governor said the majority of Nigerian youths are not looking within the country for a better future as they have turned their attention to other climes.
He stressed the need to eliminate quacks who saw politics as a means of livelihood rather than a means of service.
He added that if politics is seen as a means of service, politicians will become role models and can create hope. “Hope is an eternal, effervescent power to create hope in the young ones that their tomorrow will be better than today, just as their today ought to have been better than yesterday,” Duke said.
“Politics could be the most elevating vocation, but a lot of quacks are involved in it right now, so they have brought it down to the lowest level.
“When politics is right, it elevates everything; it elevates medicine; it elevates your livelihood; when we complain about the country not being good, it is the politician. So, if you have the right politicians, we will have the right country; so, it is the most noble of vocations, but unfortunately full of quacks,” he said.
He said the high inflation rate in the country is due to the cost of energy and tasked the political class with addressing the energy crisis by converting gas flaring to support the economy.
He urged the Nigerian youths to remain focused and strive to mark history that would be remembered for good.
Duke noted that God has a purpose for making the youths Nigerians at this time.
Also speaking, Eva Azodoh, the pastor in charge of the parish, emphasised the need for decent role models for the youths.
He said that the purpose of the conference was to link teenagers and young people in general with honourable people they could have as role models.
“We wanted to have people who have, by hard work and integrity, achieved what they have achieved in life so that people can look at them and know that by hard work and honest hard work and integrity, you can succeed,” the pastor said.
“That is the purpose; you can see the former governor of Cross River.
“We received one of our best clergies in the RCCG, Kenneth Ozioma, and look at that 15-year-old boy, Damilade Adepegba, who you can see has talent, but he has worked hard to achieve what he has, and that is the purpose of this conference.
“You do not have to be a deviant to become a role model; run around half naked or dress in all sorts of manners; neither do you have to become a deviant, because you have succeeded.”
