Being Text of a Speech Given By Chude Jideonwo, Managing Partner of Red Media/The Future Project, at the Pre-Inauguration Youth Lunch with President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday, 24 May, 2011.
I was a bit worried when I was asked yesterday to speak about youth corps members and corruption at the same time. Beyond the ‘C’ in both words, how does one link both? But then it hit me.
You see, sir, the issues are simple: the National Youth Service Corps, like many Nigerian institutions that are ailing, needs urgent reform. It is the reason The Future Project, in conjunction with EnoughisEnough Nigeria, Sleeves Up, AIESEC and the National Youth Council, has activated the youth-led #ProtectTheCorpers campaign, which is urgently demanding this reform.
But beyond that, the question is: why hasn’t this change come – even after so many years and so many lives lost? Why is it so difficult to restructure a scheme that has been ridden by neglect of its young people, lack of basic amenities from uniforms to water in camp, a complete inability to provide these young people with genuine learning opportunities and a total collapse of the original intent of this programme to forge unity?
Sir, it is corruption. People who benefit from this corrupt, inept system will fight tooth and nail, rain and shine to ensure that they continue to plunder the commonwealth. They cannot want change, they do not want change, and they never will. And now sir, these corrupt people are part of this government… your government, and therefore your responsibility.
Therefore, the times call for you, dear sir, to make a sharp break from the past and impress us – and we are not easy to impress – with the sheer strength of character to fundamentally restructure our state of affairs. Good intentions are great, a positive disposition is desirable, and your personal credibility is not in doubt, but those cannot dislodge such a fundamentally flawed system.
Sir, you have a prime opportunity to be a hero and change this system – for good – in a way your predecessors have sadly been incapable of.
We will be watching sir. But we won’t just watch, we will demand it, and we will work to make sure that we get it. We will hold you to every one of your promises.
God keep you sir, and God bless Nigeria.
Ms Linda since you were at the youth event with GEJ, Did you receive 50k for transport?Saharareporters is saying so.Just curious
ReplyDeleteGood speech & true. However, GEJ is at the head of the corruption cabal so what is he saying here? (re-Sir, it is corruption.....)
ReplyDeleteWhen we see change then we will know that this speech and all the pressure from elsewhere helped in making a difference.
I swear...that poetry better be digested by Mr. President...else i'll know there is something definitely wrong with Luck.
ReplyDeleteWell said Chude Jideonwo, Glad he didnt kiss ass, he told the Prsident 'we wont just sit and watch, we will demand the change Nigeria needs'
ReplyDeleteLinda am curious to know what you said?
am disgusted @ chude i dont mind linda attending but a guy crying that he is fighting for the youths and chanting enouh is enough was quick to sell his soul for a pot of porridge . how much were u paid. you lack integrity and am sure you are happy now . am not one of the youths you are fight for sha . chude how much were u paid rubbish. and the rubbish speech read it like 5 times so it would not be that am the only one being baised. but please state 1 reform that you and ur friends who cheer all the organisations you mentioned have proposed (AISEC) am dissapointed . for you chude you wont last brezze go soon blow fowl yansh go open am waiting patiently. user u and debola tell the world about hw you used emilia OLE
ReplyDelete@Adebola, Linda did not say anything, she just collected transport fare and left. What does a gossip blogger like herself have to say eh?
ReplyDeleteobviously Linda was there as a business woman....taking picshures and other iranu like "who is present and who wore what"......ofcourse the event was for the Lagos Elite and other planted youth groups.....
ReplyDeleteGoodluck/Ministers can do a University campus tour like Obama and not an invite-only luncheon inside AC.....hiss
awww i love this speech!GEJ needs to hear te truth!!we would hold him to his promises! yes i love this speech...i just hope GEJ listens to us!
ReplyDeleteanon 2:26 didnt you read where she said that she didnt recieve any money. she said she left before the time...ah free her with this your 50k questions..abi are you that cheap sef?
ReplyDeleteChude is actually a tool if he thinks his fancy speech moves that inept dude called GEJ.
ReplyDeleteThere will be a change for show but it will not be internal orchestrated.It shall be externally induced.
How do you expect a man to alter a status quo that he is part of?
This man is no different from the past and anyone asking for change from this man is deluded.
Fresh Air is nothing but a marketing gimmick.
Jonathan does not have the moral nor political will to effect any change.Change will come but it will not be pleasant since these barbarians have chosen to be hostages to greed and myopia.
Why are we even discussing NYSC?scrap the damn thing!!
Apart from does who win contracts to supply watery beans mattresses and khaki uniforms no one else is benefiting from that scheme.
Policy makers should earn there pay my designing an innovative and community based community service scheme that entails graduands serving either in their states of origin/abode or states where they schooled.
It should be an hourly thing,flexible and employer enabled where the graduand contributes something to the society either in the form of teaching, secretarial duties, farming, sewing or medical services. No services in banks and oil companies.Every graduand must serve for a minimum of 1000 hours and without completing it you are ineligible to seek permanent employment.
The issue of NYSC serving as an integration tool is outdated.People are schooling and leaving all over the country.If i do not school or leave in the north or South NYSC should not take me there,If i am adventurous and want to see other parts of the country i will buy a bus fare.stop using young people's lives to foster adventure and tourism.It is ungodly!!
Scrap the damn thing.(I dare you).
But i know this govt and its band of travellers have no balls.They serve to retain the status quo.
They only have guts when it is time to share money and collect bank loans.
Chude, save your breath.
Change is coming and it will root out these barbarians.Every one of them.
@annonymous 8:33,im soo inlove wit you right now**muahhhhhh**,WELL SAID!!!!!!
ReplyDelete". . .taking picshures like other iranu. ." infact laugh don off my pant. Linda don suffer!!!
ReplyDeleteNa wah oh, if the people that attended the event where given 50k for transport i don't believe its bad after all the election are over so it would have being given in good intent after all the youths invited go transport them self, on NYSC, i don't believe it should be scraped yet as a re-evaluation has not being done ever on this scheme. I would suggest we send corp members to serve with the army, police ,air-force, navy because this institutions have structure and the corps members would help grow and solidify this structure, if not for anything it would help our security structure as the corps members would be bringing a wealth of free ideas straight from the class rooms, establishments would not use them for cheap labor thereby going back to the level playing field structure for fresh employment, most importantly the corps members would be SAFE.
ReplyDeleteAll i have said is my own opinion oh before una attack me.
Linda, I am one of your greatest fans and supporters o! I live in the US and I still visit your blog at least twice a day! But the news I have been hearing about those that attended does not put you in good light! Please tell us that you did not collect the bribe?
ReplyDeleteAll of you are attacking people that collected money. for me as far as you even went to the "LUNCH" you are a sale out. Why didnt they say no to his Lunch. Whether na food you go eat, or na money you collect, you all are the same. Nigerian youths should stop all the yes sir, pls sir thing if they want change and stand their grounds. they are other ways youth have been saying their mind. whats different now. In my opinion those that collected money are even far than those that went and said they didnt collect nothing.I rest my case
ReplyDelete