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Any Nigerian Above 50 Years Eyeing Presidency Should Forget It – Arewa Youths

Published

5 years ago

February 1, 2021

The President of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, (AYCF) Yerima Shettima, has told Nigerians who are above the age of 50 to forget about running for the presidency in 2023.

Shettima noted that the aged ones had completely failed the country since they took over governance from the founding fathers and had brought perpetual hardship of all kinds to Nigerians.

Speaking in Kaduna, he said, “we refused to harness our human and natural resources and put them on the right track for us to be very productive, rather, we only count on the number every day on one story or the other.

“It is sad and unfortunate today that this country is where it is today despite the fact that some of us are willing to cope with the situation and move it forward no matter what.

“What they succeeded in doing is to balkanize and cause more divisions among us the present generation. It is either you are caught in an issue of religion or tribe and over and over, this has continued.

“What we are doing now as youths of this country is to form synergy, build capacity before the next elections to ensure that never again will we allow anyone that is not our contemporary to occupy any political space, we won’t do that and that is what we are doing now.

“The youths are set for 2023. Recent happenings in the country have shown that we have the capacity and that is a clear demonstration of ENDSARS, it happens just within a small place and if you could see how it exposed a lot of weakness on the part of the federal government, we don’t intend to go through that process of ENDSARS where there were casualties of lives and properties. No, we are going to be very objective, we will demand through a political process, through the ballot paper, through our voter’s Cards, we will mobilize our generation, never again will we put somebody at the helm of affairs that is above 50 years.”

Shettima lamented that the older ones in the country, who got everything on a platter of gold “are still not ready to relinquish power to the present generation”, stressing that, “We expect them to set the pace, to put the present generation on the right track so that at the end of the day, side by side, work with them and move the country forward.

“They refused and still maintained the status-quo and that is why often times when a new team comes up, because of their mindset, they are not thinking towards moving Nigerians to higher standards.”

On the insecurity of the country, he observed that it would not be good for someone to preempt the impact of the new Service Chiefs, saying, “We should look at the source of the problem before looking at the solution. To change the service Chiefs is not enough to solve the security challenges in the country.

“There is a need to overhaul the entire security network in the country. It has to be a thing of side by side with the communities so that together we can have confidence in the security agents because it requires a lot to build that confidence.

“Overtime, that confidence has been abused by the various sectors of the security, it requires inclusiveness of the members of the society side by side with the security agents so that we can do it through intelligence gathering because we are faced with issues of kidnapping, Boko Haram, banditry and other social vices in the country.

So it is not a natural conventional approach that we always see, this one is a different methodology and so to that extent, the government must be seen to provide all the necessary equipment for the security to be able to succeed, that is, to counter what their enemies are carrying.”

On reprisals, he noted,

“Government has a lot of jobs to do, Nigerians are doing their bit, the government must be seen to be decisive, to do justice to all, the government must be seen to deal with anybody found wanting, because the law is the law to everybody in the country.

“There is no way why anybody should take the law into his or her hand. The government should be seen doing the right thing so that the people will also sit up to do the right thing.”

Speaking on farmers/herdsmen clashes in the country, Shettima noted that the federal government needed to be serious to ensure that only modernized style of grazing was done to avoid any clash between the farmers and the herdsmen in any part of the country.

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Daughters of Dr. Charles Ononiwu, Chiamanda and Chiamaka, Launch Debut Books to Uplift Hearts Facing Life’s Struggles

Published

3 weeks ago

October 10, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

At just 18 and 20 years old, Chiamanda and Chiamaka Ononiwu — daughters of renowned Nigerian surgeon Dr. Charles Ononiwu — have achieved a remarkable milestone with the release of their debut inspirational books, Do Not Be Afraid and Waterfalls.

Their literary journey began six years ago, during the height of the global COVID-19 pandemic. While the world was engulfed in fear and uncertainty, the then 13- and 15-year-old sisters turned inward, using writing as an outlet to process their emotions, express their faith, and reach out to others with messages of hope and resilience.

What began as a quiet act of creativity blossomed into two powerful books that now serve as beacons of light for readers navigating life’s storms.

Eighteen-year-old Chiamanda Ononiwu is the author of Do Not Be Afraid. A passionate Electrical Engineering student , she is also a proud alumna of Intellichild TLC and Valedictorian of Great Blessings School, Class of 2022.

In her book, she addresses the emotional challenges many young people face and draws from her personal faith to offer guidance and encouragement.

Her elder sister, Chiamaka Ononiwu, 20, is a final-year medical student at Babcock University in Nigeria. She penned Waterfalls, a heartfelt and deeply spiritual work she describes as divinely inspired. Chiamaka views her writing as a calling — a mission to uplift souls and bring hope to those struggling with life’s challenges.

“Personally, I would say it all started with the idea of inclusion, inspired by real human experiences,” Chiamaka shared. “We’ve had conversations with people who’ve gone through difficult situations — including issues and those stories helped shape what I write today.”

She added, “It’s all about encouraging people to face life with faith. We began this journey during a dark time in the world, and I felt called to create something that could offer comfort and hope — not just locally, but globally.”

The official book launch and signing ceremony took place on Wednesday in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, and was attended by family, friends, colleagues, and well-wishers. It was a celebration of creativity, faith, and youthful brilliance, as the sisters presented their work to an inspired audience.

Speaking at the event, Chiamaka emphasized the core message of her book: “Waterfalls reminds readers that God is always watching over His people. He doesn’t bring fear — He brings peace, hope, and love. I want readers to find comfort and assurance in that truth.”

For Chiamanda, her book is a message to young people who may feel overwhelmed by life’s pressures: “Do Not Be Afraid is especially for youth navigating difficult times. No matter how hard life gets, you can always find strength and direction in God’s word.”

Writing came naturally to both sisters. Chiamaka recalled, “Even as a child, I loved writing short stories for my siblings. When the opportunity came to publish, I knew it was time to share my message with a wider audience.”

Despite their demanding academic paths, both young women balanced their studies with writing through perseverance and faith.

Chiamanda and Chiamaka are united by a shared dream — to inspire people across the world with their writing.

Chiamaka expressed Further; “Our biggest hope is that these books will reach people who need to know that God is real, that He’s always with them, and that through Him, anything is possible,” Chiamaka said.

With Do Not Be Afraid and Waterfalls, the Ononiwu sisters have not only created literary works — they’ve created lifelines. Their voices, grounded in faith and driven by purpose, remind readers everywhere that even in the darkest moments, God’s light never fades.

Their father, Dr. Charles Ononiwu — a distinguished surgeon and deeply devoted parent — also spoke at the event, sharing the journey from his perspective.

“For me, my number one priority has always been to care for children — not just medically, but also by encouraging them academically and in the basics of life,” he said.

He recounted a moving moment with Chiamanda, who approached him with the idea of sharing her story publicly to inspire others.

“She came to me and said she wanted to talk to her peers, to share how she had been comforted, and to help them see that everything would be okay,” he recalled. “As a father, my role was to guide her. I support both of them, help activate their strengths, and provide direction.”

Dr. Ononiwu made the decision to fund the publication of their books himself, believing in the power of their message.

“I told them, ‘You have something the world needs. You can make an impact in the lives of others,’” he said. “I believe every child has a gift. It is our responsibility as parents not to dismiss them, but to help them discover and nurture their talents.”

He encouraged all parents to support their children’s creative pursuits, noting, “Every person has something special inside them — no one is without talent. It’s just a matter of looking inward, discovering that gift, and sharing it with the world.”

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