What anybody who has come of age should know

Nigeria should not just be seen as the most populous country in Africa. An increasing population without strong economy and a stable government has implications for the land and the people as a whole. One of the most common factors most people point at when analyzing the current situation in Nigeria is the bad leadership and somewhat passive attitude of Nigerians.

Sometimes it is easier to sit and whine about the inadequacies of our government leaders, to compare our society with others and hope that someday our economy will recover form its current squatting state. According to the CIA World Factbook Web site, seventy percent of Nigerians are under 35 years. This mean that if this age group actively participate in the coming election, we would have more grounds to hold our leaders accountable, stating with INEC who is expected to count the votes.

In a nutshell, if you are Nigerian and you have come of age then it is very imperative that you become more active in civic participation. Starting with the basics such as: registering to vote for the 2011 election and also encouraging your friends to do likewise.

The 2011 elections are only few months away. Considering the political trend in Nigeria, we know there is still a lot to be done. We live in a society where people can take unprintable measures to undermine the system in pursuit of self-interest. But it is left to us to decide if we want to act to change the system or be acted upon. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has promised to do better than they did in 2007 election but "No true Democracy manifests without a people's deliberate labour Register to vote, vote and defend your vote.”

As Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde recently said "A time will come when as a youth, you will no more be judged by how many ‘Lamboginis’ you cruised or the amount of Gold jewelry you paid installmentaly for, but how you affected your generation. My name is Omotola and I'm a cool voter...what's your C.V.?" Let us make hay while Sun shine. When it is time to register to vote, don’t be caught missing in action. It is not enough to wish for a better government leaders. We all have a role to elect them in. Don’t succumb to business as usual of moving with the Party with mouth-watering manifestos. Join the cool voters, make an effort not only to register but also to vote. By God's grace come 2011, let us rock that vote beyond election-malpractice.