Leverage older generations as mentors, NAN MD advises party

Mentors
By Diana Omueza
Abuja, May 6, 2018 (NAN) The Managing Director, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr Bayo Onanuga, has advised new political parties to leverage older generation for better knowledge of politics and not shun them.
Onanuga gave the advice on Wednesday when he received delegates of Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP) at NAN Headquarters in Abuja.
He said that older people could be involved in the party and play key roles which would help in shaping the party’s system.
“I belong to Buhari’s brigade, because I am over 60 years of age. But, I believe the older ones can still steer the party’s policies and ideas.
“You must mobilise more youths and the older ones can still serve as mentors. Only the older generation can guide and tell you what has been done before and the outcome of it.
“Don’t shut out the older people, they can be members; they can play major roles and take part in socio-economic activities of the party.”
Onanuga said that he subscribed to the ideas on renewing the country and mind set of the youths by the party was a good innovation.
He noted that it was only the youths that could show Nigeria new ways that it could be run by any leadership.
He advised members of the party to go beyond the already registered 50,000 members, saying the number was not enough in a population of over 180 million people, made up mostly of youths.
“It is not just a figure, youths are out there waiting to be mobilised, because only the youths have the PVC and they can vote anyone in or out.
“These young ones are all over the place, everywhere in every sector; over 60 per cent of the nation’s population are youths.” Onanuga said.
He encouraged the party to introduce cooperative system to elevate its members out of poverty.
He expressed dissatisfaction that politics had turned to where people contributed nothing when going in, but were ready to take everything when coming out.
“Nobody cares on what they are bringing into a party these days; all they care about is what to take out.
“As late as 1979 when we had parties like UPN and NPN, and I was a member of some of those parties; we contributed money, we bought membership cards and every meeting we went to, we paid money.
“That is how parties should be run. Run a party as a cooperative to elevate members out of poverty,” he said.
The managing director assured the party that NAN was for all and that the agency would give good publicity to ANPR as it had always done to others.
He said that NAN was not in competition with any newspaper, television or radio station, adding that the agency was the mother of all media in Nigeria because it provided wider coverage.
Onanuga disclosed that in recent times NAN had been sending audio and video news to its subscribers and that 90 per cent of the news in newspapers and broadcast stations were repackaged stories from NAN.
National Secretary of the party, Ebere Okonkwo, appreciated NAN for its quick response and warm reception.
Okonkwo said that though the party was new and small, it would grow and last for many decades “for as long as the country exists’’.
“At our stage when APC and PDP started, they only had about 34 people, if you remember G-34. But, right here when we started, not up to six months into registration we had over 50,000 registered members.”
Okonkwo said that though they were in political party, its members were nation-builders with a difference.
“When we walked into this facility the person at the reception recognised us as politicians and we want to renew that mindset that we are the nation’s builders and there is a huge difference.
“We are political but we are here to renew.
“Nigeria is abundantly blessed with the resources under the ground and with greater resources on the ground, which are the people, their love, unity and peace,” he said.
He said that Nigeria “worked before and the party believes that the nation can still work again and it is putting structures to remind Nigerians that they don’t need to remain in the old ways’’.
On his part, Sesugh Akume, Spokesman of the party, requested that the party should be given enough media coverage like others.
Akume commended NAN for its role in the media industry in Nigeria, adding that the agency gave the party much hope that a public institution could be proactive.
He said that the party was not just another political party or one ready to take over power, but one to put together a society where things are done properly and progressively.
Akume advocated the participation of public servants as members of the party, saying that the Supreme Court had made provision for public servants to join political parties.
“The Public service rule 2008 did not exclude civil servants and public servants from participating in politics just as they were not excluded from being members of religious groups,” he said. (NAN)
DOM /OPI