12/08/2026
BUILD THE YOUTH! BUILD THE NATION!
Let me join Dr. Kethoser Kevichusa in asking a simple question:
“Who are you?”
Not your name. Not your age. Not what you do for a living.
Who are you to the society you belong to?
There is an old distinction from Ancient Greek thought about three kinds of people in society. I find it particularly relevant to us today.
THE IDIOTS
For the Greeks, an idiot was not someone who was mentally deficient. It was someone who lived entirely for himself, his personal interest, his personal gain, his pleasures and his treasures.
He had little or no interest in public life or the common good.
In this old Greek framing, such a person was little more than an upgraded barbarian.
Then there are the:
TRIBES PEOPLE
Being a member of a tribe is not the problem. Our tribes, cultures and identities are part of who we are.
The problem begins when we can no longer see beyond them.
The tribesman thinks first, and almost always, about his own group. His tribe becomes his god, and tribalism becomes his religion.
Anything different becomes something to fear or distrust. And when disagreement comes, intimidation, force and violence can easily become the language of choice.
But then, there is another kind of person.
The ideal person.
THE CITIZEN
The citizen understands that he is part of something bigger than himself.
He knows his rights, but he also knows his responsibilities. He can stand up for himself without trampling on the rights of others. He can disagree without turning the person who disagrees with him into an enemy.
He remembers the neighbour. He remembers the minority. He even remembers the person he strongly disagrees with.
That, to me, is what citizenship should mean.
And I ask this question of myself too, because I am not standing outside this generation or above its struggles. I am part of it.
And that is why I think the question before us today, August 12, 2026, and especially in this election season, is not a small one.
Who are we going to be?
Will we be the idiots, living only for ourselves and allowing ourselves to become instruments of political thuggery?
Will we be tribalists, unable to see beyond our tribe, our political group or our small circle?
Or will we choose to be CITIZENS, citizens in the best sense of the word?
I believe that choice belongs to each of us.
Because we cannot keep asking for a better society while refusing to become better citizens ourselves.
It is with that hope that I address you, ladies and gentlemen, not merely as young people, but finally as my fellow CITIZENS.
My fellow citizens and co-travellers, the choice is ours.
And whatever society we eventually build will, in part, be a reflection of the choices we make today.
May God bless you.
Happy International Youth Day!
Mr Ene Anam, Esq.
PDP Candidate,
Cross River State House of Assembly,
Calabar South Constituency ll.
