The Benin Club is a private recreational establishment in Benin City. It was established in 1931. It promotes social and sporting activities

As a young boy growing up in Benin, I had the priviledge of accompanying friends who lived in the GRA (the area of town reserved for the most priviledged then) to Benin Club at weekends. My father wasn’t a member and wasn’t interested in resting and recreation. Drinking beer in the evenings with suya (barbecue meat) was not his thing. He would rather be working late and planning his next day during the evenings. He would be in bed by 9pm and up at 4am daily.

He also believed that when children had free time, they should be doing house chores or reading their books. So, in order to escape the military regime in the house, I would encourage my friends to mention to their parents that they wanted me to accompany them to the Benin Club. In my opinion, social interaction, sports and recreation where important for children’s development. My father meant well and he would bestow upon us all in later years, priviledges beyond our wildest imagination. But his lessons to me in my formative years would build me into a strong character and enable me survive a very harsh world later in life. I thank him.

However, this has nothing to do with my story here today.

I recall watching from the glass window of the Benin Club Billiards and Snooker room, standing at the tip of my toes in amazement as older men, who I thought ought to know better, kept using a stick to hit these poor defenseless coloured balls. If they missed a shot, I would see them in animated frustration and if they potted a ball, they would be be jumping in the air in wild jubilation. These elders left me puzzled. My father did not behave like this at home.

I wanted to go closer to the table. I was curious. Maybe there was something I wasn’t seeing that was generating or provoking, these reactions.

Now my story begins.

As I opened the door and stepped in, I heard a loud bark, “Small boy, get out of here. Children are not allowed”.

This same reaction I have seen with Nigerian parents when their children want to ‘play’ with

their expensive possessions. A laptop, mobile phone, guitar, Callaway or Tailor made gold club, etc etc. Rather than invite the “small boy” into the room and supervise his education of the game, I was left in fear, as I bolted away, terrified.

I never went back near that room again as a young boy.

That I would later inbmh life become a two-time Captain of the Benin Club, Billiards and Snooker Section is another story. It will be told along with how I represented Benin Club and Edo State, many times in Billiard and Snooker and winning competitions in Nigeria and the UK. That is indeed another story.

The story here today is that we as Nigerians always believed that children do not know anything and should never be allowed responsibility or be invited to be groomed for leadership. Consequently, because I started playing Billiards and snooker at a very late age, being a world champion was never going to be on the cards. I would be a good player but never near the best.

I just watched a video of a 3 year old girl practicing table tennis, and my Benin Club experience came to my mind and of course, Nigeria is always on my love list and in my thoughts.

It is the norm in countries of them with fairer skin to encourage their children to become engage in all things from a very early age. For this reason they lack an inferiority complex and are used to rubbing shoulders, at a very early age with older wiser people. It rubs off on them. They conquer and dominate the timid and unprepared. And so, teenagers in Europe and America are building million dollar business from their bedrooms.

And so, the administration of Nigeria for decades has been left to the elders, who though are experienced and have paid their dues, are however past their ‘sell by’ date and are expired and unsuitable for country leadership in the 21st century. It is not an insult. It is a reality. US president, Joe Biden showed us clearly, recently, the dangers of assuming you can do that which you cannot. As a result, putting the country in danger, for personal interest. An unsuitable leader is a loaded fully automatic gun with a hair trigger.

As the rest of the world has moved to being run by younger leaders, Nigeria continues to find the oldest in the reserves as leaders. Personally, these elders of ours are very experienced but they should make up our Think Tank, guiding, mentoring and creating connections with other world leaders, top business men and Industry Executives on behalf of the capable younger leaders, whom they are allowed to ‘fix’ into positions of authority. We have no problem with that.

It is only in Nigeria that I know you can have a 60 years old as a Youth Leader. It makes no sense.

To assume that only the over 60s, 70s, have the knowledge and ability to run a country is a fundamentally flawed logic. Or that a person in their 30s or 40s cannot control a multi-billion dollar business empire. The mind of a twenty year old today, with their passion and understanding of current and future technology, humongously dwarfs the quotient capacity of a 70 years old. Simply because of the times we are in. I am not disrespecting anybody, certainly not an over 60s like myself. But we must be honest and realistic.

A forty year old race engine that is regularly raced and serviced and a 5 year old one also regularly raced and serviced, do not perform alike. The camshaft, crankshaft, rings, block, cylinder head, piston, valves, suspension become relevant to perfomance. Carburettor technology has given way to fuel injection. Spark plugs used to have to be chamged at every service. Now they can last five years.

The older engine blocks constructed from pure iron now give way to lighter stronger blocks made from advanced materials like special aluminum alloys, magnesium, or even titanium.

Things change.

Things should improve.

Ecclesiastes 3.

There also must come a time for the elders to let go. Build capacity in the youth and plan for a better Nigeria.

For sure, a better Nigeria is possible.

If we cannot be honest about the challenges, we cannot resolve them.

Many misunderstand my passion and how I express my love for my country..

I have no apologies for being patriotic.