Okotie urges Nigerians to reject old politicians

[Richard Akindele]

This one is an interesting comment from Okotie. As much as this sounds like age discrimination, I do agree with him.

Old guys are set in their ways. We need younger people in government to infuse fresh ideas into the system.

Read the article and draw your own conclusions...


Okotie, who made this call yesterday, while publicly declaring his intention to contest for the presidency in the forthcoming 2007 election, blamed the country's woes on these politicians, who he argued joined hands together to defraud the Nigerian people politically and economically, in the different political offices they held at different times.

The cleric-turn politician advised these "present set of geriatric leaders" to voluntarily retire and serve as advisers to the new generation, based on their experience.

Continuing, Okotie said: "In calling for generational shift, we are not in any way disparaging the achievements of the incumbent administration. However, we believe strongly that only a FRESH Democratic Party administration can take our nation to the next level of development both socially and economically. We intend to build on the positive legacies this present government will leave as it exists in the spirit of continuity.

Speaking on the controversial third term agenda of the present government, Okotie, who had earlier said his party was neither a Christian organisation nor a tribal one, noted that agitation for elongation was a regular phenomenonamongst African leaders in general, adding that it was also a survival plan by the present politicains to continue in their deeds.

"In FRESH Democractic Party, we believe that the current agitation for tenure elongation by some members of the present administration is just a survival plot by the professional politicians. These are a group of people who know that they have no place in the next dispensation and who are therefore desperate to hang on to political relevance for as long as possible. However, we are convinced that these agitations will not succeed.

"We believe that President Obasanjo is wiser than these political jobbers figure that he is. We are persuaded that he will not plunge the nation into chaos and neither will he tarnish his unequalled record of being the first million ruler to voluntarily hand over to an elected civilian administration. Therefore, we are persuaded that President Obasanjo will hand over in the year 2007 to a new government of the FRESH Democratic Party headed by Rev. Chris Okotie".

The Pastor, who called for more support from mostly Nigerian youths, said he had got the support of Northerners and their Sourthern counterparts and the blessing of South-South elders.

Source: Thisday