When he held sway at the House of Representatives as the Deputy Speaker, not many knew about his passions. Prince Chibudom Nwuche has always had a passion for youth development. In this interview, he shares about his project, Foundation for Youth Development, and the way forward for the youth in Nigeria.

You were the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives. Now that you are out of the political limelight, what are you into?

I was privileged to serve the country from 1999 – 2003 as deputy speaker of the House of Representatives. Before I went to the National Assembly, I was in the oil and gas industry. I however began as a legal Practitioner in the law firms of Ajumogobia Okeke and Oyebode, then Dr Mudiaga Odje and company. After a while, I went into the oil and gas sector, particularly the downstream sector. This sector deals with petroleum product marketing. I used to hire small vessels and trade through the west coast in countries like lome, Liberia, Abidjan, and others.

In 1996, I was forced to leave Lagos for port-Harcourt, because it had become unstable as a result of the June 12 crisis. In port-Harcourt, I realised that business was not as it was in Lagos. I had to find a foothold in the mid stream sector of the oil and gas industry. This gave birth to Rheingold Nigeria Limited; an oil company specialized in the provision of engineering services to oil producing companies ranging from procurements, civil and mechanical works to seismic acquisition etc. in 1999, my people asked me to vie for the House of Representatives. Initially, I declined, but they prevailed on me. Eventually, I ran for, and won a seat into the House of Representatives, where I was also elected as the Deputy Speaker of the House. While I was in the house, my businesses suffered some setback. Outside of politics, I am back to my businesses which include law practice, lobby for companies and corporations, and interest in the telecommunications sector, as well as oil and gas.

As a new generation leader, what do you think the youth can contribute to the sustainable development of Nigeria?

Really, the youth in every country are the engine room of growth. That is the most productive time in any one’s life, intellectually, physically and otherwise. Looking at our population, you would discover that the youth have the highest proportion; therefore they stimulate growth and development. The youth can propel Nigeria to greatness. Their role is indeed critical. Those who are between the teenage and 30 years, have a lot more stake in Nigeria than those in their 40s and 50s. They should therefore show more interest in how they are governed, and the commitment of government to their future; they have more time to live than those who are ahead of them, and also because Nigeria belongs to all of us. They have a claim to our resources just like everybody. The youth should ensure that those saddled with the responsibility of managing the resources do it well. They should demand credible leadership, and legacies that can stand the test of time. In addition to been proactive, vigilante, and also question leaders with the view to holding them accountable, they must take part in the polity, and seek to make inputs in policy processes.

Why the commitment to youth development through the Foundation for Youth Development?

I have had this interest for a very long time, but I have not had the opportunity to bring it to fruition. Two years ago, we registered the Foundation for Youth Development, and currently trying to commence our programs. The intention is to mentor the youth so as to help them achieve their full potentials, and also make them understand that it is possible to be God fearing, hard working, and achievement oriented. Especially in these days that vices like cultism, advance fee fraud, and a host of others are rife. Somehow the youth might begin to think that it pays to be part of these vices and criminalities. The idea really is to find people, who can act as role models by virtue of their own lifestyle, who can interact with the youth, and who they can see as role models, learning how best to conduct themselves, and what virtues in life they should imbibe.

Like I said before, it is not my personal foundation. All I have done is create a platform for people who share in the same vision to come and participate, and co-own the platform.

As soon as we have enough resources through people of like minds, we will commence skill acquisition programs for the youth, so as to prepare them for the challenges ahead

What is the vision of Foundation for Youth Development?

The vision is to impact positively in the life of the youth. The foundation will provide positive mentoring, and as well encourage them to be the best that they can, and to follow the straight and narrow path that leads to heaven and not the wide path that leads to hell. And for them to learn to defer rewards.

How does democracy impact on youth development?

It has been proven that in countries that are democratic, where people are elected on the basis of popular universal suffrage, where votes count, where rule of law works, prosperity is not negotiable. By implication the youth drive the prosperity.  

As a country, how did we get here?

I think we got here through a series of wrong steps taken by previous governments. We missed the impact of democracy for a long time, thanks to military rule and when democracy came, we are still battling with free and fair elections. We have also missed many critical chances and opportunities for positive change. Going forward, we must begin to embrace true democracy, one where people’s vote count and their opinion matters.

If democracy is vital to youth development, what are your views on electoral reform?

Electoral reforms are critical to democracy in the sense that it will underpin our stability. Nigerians are tired of fraud or failed elections. They want their votes to count. They want to decide who rules them. Those who are in position to affect change should bear it in mind that Nigerians want transparent, free and fair elections, where they will have an independent electoral umpire.