Zoning of political offices for both elected and appointed seats is not a new phenomenon in this clime we live called Nigeria. It’s so old that one cannot exactly trace whether the zoning concept came before the Nigerian state or Nigeria came before zoning. But this debate is for the political science class, so let’s leave it aside for the moment. On both the national and local political landscape of Nigeria, however, zoning has always been an unwritten, honour-based code to abide by, than it is a fundamental item of note within our constitution or any such legal documents for that matter. Even political parties were only quite recently forced by circumstances and events to consider and include abridged versions of the zoning principle within their individual constitutions. The thing about zoning is that it is a coin-like relationship. Flip now a coin and you have even chances of getting the head or the tail side. Such is the zoning case, with its merits and demerits.

Zoning of political offices for both elected and appointed seats is not a new phenomenon in this clime we live called Nigeria. It’s so old that one cannot exactly trace whether the zoning concept came before the Nigerian state or Nigeria came before zoning. But this debate is for the political science class, so let’s leave it aside for the moment. On both the national and local political landscape of Nigeria, however, zoning has always been an unwritten, honour-based code to abide by, than it is a fundamental item of note within our constitution or any such legal documents for that matter. Even political parties were only quite recently forced by circumstances and events to consider and include abridged versions of the zoning principle within their individual constitutions. The thing about zoning is that it is a coin-like relationship. Flip now a coin and you have even chances of getting the head or the tail side. Such is the zoning case, with its merits and demerits.

In Plateau state today, zoning is considerably growing to be among the chief issues of note before the main PDP primaries, which will ultimately determine how the political juggernauts will decide to snug it out for the political season 2015. For the moment, though, and for the temporal good of the ordinary man on the street, the political scene is dead silent. Many are playing underground maneuverings, and for such, zoning is one important issue. But as earlier stated, let it be reiterated that the ‘political peace’ (a peace largely due to the absence of political noise) we now enjoy is good for the common man/woman like me.
But ‘political peace’ will not last for long, we know. So, how best should this zoning issue be tackled, bracing towards 2015?

It is important to note that the idea of zoning (if it exists) in Plateau, was postulated because of our ethic diversity and the numerous political and social divisions by past leaders who are probably dead now (God bless their souls). That said, when the zoning principle was birth and cascaded within our communities –the so called leaders at that time were youths like us, most of them in their twenties and thirties. Some of them who served on a national level too were not left out. Nde Yakubu Gowon, and JD Gomwalk were at their prime what we easily (now) refer to as ‘babies’ in terms of administration and politics (if age were the yardstick). These guys were the first crops of mostly missionary or public western education whom the direction and fate of the nation Nigeria stood upon from the 1950s to the early 1980s. But suddenly, especially at the moment, to be a youth seems a crime.

The thing about old men and women is that they are old, and same with their thoughts and ideas. But the world we live in does not and cannot remain stagnant. Every day, discoveries are made (mostly by youths) and every society needs to carefully choose based on its good and acceptable precedence (or culture), what old norms and (new) discoveries to follow or not to follow. But old people are seldom enthusiastic about anything at all; they are contented in a discontented world. That’s why our future will never be safe if in its entirety, remains in the hands and dictates of old people. And lest I be misunderstood, there is a place for old and elderly people within the society. And every society without a lot of old men at its background could easily crash.

Back to Plateau state, however, there are numerous internal and contentious issues which are ready to explode. Tribalism is rife even among the youths, regrettably. The writer recalls how that after the general elections of 2007, a fellow Plateau youth was lamenting and predicting that our sufferings under a Berom Governor will be twice those we may have suffered under any other Governor past in Plateau state. For such an individual, alas a salient popular opinion, the mantle of ethnic strive has already been successfully passed down from the older generation, regrettably. Others are so engrossed with the selfishness and blind politics of our fathers; where the occupation of seats with flamboyance and titles, weighs and means much more than the service they’re meant to render. This is so typified if a comment or criticisms were to be thrown at their political ‘lords’. Write a statement that pitches JD Jang against his immediate predecessor, JC Dariye and the responses will be clearer. But the most pathetic part of the story is that majority of such responders are youths. We also have issues like ‘to zone or not to zone seats?’ This zoning of a thing!

As the 2015 general elections and the political scene sets-in however, it is a good sight when youths converge and begin to talk about these issues (most of these convergences are presently limited to the online environment). Nevertheless, what is truly the place of youths in Plateau politics, governance and administration in Plateau state and how can we achieve a balance between polity and action as relating to the many and great discrepancies surrounding the youths? The state ministry of youth development is quite a mockery of the true pride of place meant to be accorded youths. Such terms like youth “empowerment” initiatives and practices are a charade and anything but empowerment, because if youths are given stipends to play football (for instance) or given one day lunch allowance (even if such amounted to tens of thousands of Naira) to participate in one programme of government or the other, such cannot in reality be termed empowering at all. A more robust structure needed to be built so as to engender true enrichments, especially those of the mind (at the first instance). But such, even at their best levels cannot satisfy the deficiencies among the crop of youths in Plateau state today. Therefore, mentorship programs – both individual and organizational, needs to be inculcated within all sectors (especially those of government descent/control) so that transition from one generation to another will be achieved – and smoothly, too.

Our Plateau specific online forums needed to be more proactive now and practical than what is presently seen. Worthy of note in this piece is the Plateau Intelligentsia, but such must still strive to develop a workable structure that will ensure that the debates translate into real results on the ground and that more youths are carried along within the polity instead of the presently obtainable scenario where only some youths are being carried along. A point of caution needed to be stated for all these online forums so that these efforts do not just end up as tools to benefit certain political causes only; such will be a pitiful sight. And since we’re now in the atmosphere of conferences and dialogues, it won’t be out of place if such online forums will open wide their arms to conduct a mini-Plateau dialogue/conference where Plateau-specific issues of note will be discussed plainly¸ factually and without bias. This will sure be a better option than waiting for all the old men/women (God bless their divine wisdom) to choose and impose the trends on the state after elections. And if such ideas are good, I do believe sponsorship will not be an issue.
Such conferences can then discuss the issues of zoning, security, unemployment, etcetera, and forward such recommendations to the state government.

Lest this piece be misinterpreted, there are (and indeed we even presently, still have good old men/women in Plateau – some are even within active governance). Such will take their fatherly and motherly roles to steer and adequately guide the actions of youths in various instances.

And finally, “this world demands the qualities of youth: not a time of life but a state of mind, a temper of the will, a quality of imagination, a predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the life of ease.” – Robert Kennedy

God bless the disadvantaged youths of Nigeria and Plateau state. God bless us all. Amen.

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The zoning controversy, youth development and agenda setting for contemporary Plateau politics by Makji Godfrey Dajwal