About three years ago, the present administration of Rivers State led by Chief Nyesom Wike initiated the policy of registration of youth organisations in the State. And the Government, through the Ministry for Youth Affairs, committed to ensuring that the  executive members and those vying for leadership positions were profiled.
The aim was to get the youth organisations free from cultism-infested leadership. It is also designed to give credibility and recognition to the youth organisations.
This idea was welcome considering the unique place youths occupy in society.
Aside the fact that the youth constitute major population group in a growing population such as Nigeria, where the population  will conservatively hit 250 million by 2030 according to demographers, the youth population is also growing geometrically like a phoenix.
The tendency of youths to be exuberant is rife and inevitable because they are adventurous, energetic and enterprising. These and other sterling qualities make some of them vulnerable to vulgarism, anti-social behaviour and flagrant criminality.
It is speculated, based on statistics reeled out by security operatives on those caught in various crimes, like stealing, robbery, prostitution, arson, that youths are predominantly the culprits or suspects.
This populace of dynamic and energetic youths cannot be led by people who are clueless and without vision. According to John Maxwell in one of his best seller books, “Leadership Gold”: Every human organisation rises and falls on leadership. The leader sets goal(s), gives direction, provides coordination and focus that fosters achievement of collective goal. It is therefore pertinent for ascension to leadership to be based on attainment of prescribed and stipulated standard of the organisation. The truth remains that nobody gives what he does not have, hence a renowned world evangelist, D. L. Moody said, “to train a child in the way he should go, parents must be in that way”. In essence, leadership must be exemplary. Those who are in the saddle of leadership should commit to and intentionally embody and live out those qualities they intend members to imbibe or cultivate.
Leadership is contagious. If a leader is bereft of sound moral qualities, there is the possibility of their followers being negatively impacted by the lifestyle of such leader. If a leader has a violent disposition they will breed followers that are correspondingly hostile, violent and brutish. Though the leader may preach peace such message will be counter-productive because it is not the product of the real speaker.
This explains why we have pockets of violence induced by cultism, inordinate ambition, rivalry, greed and selfishness among youths across the country.
The Rivers State Government and security operatives should not rest on their oars of ensuring that only youths who are free from cult affinity, drug addiction, violent tendencies and other social vices are allowed to vie for leadership position. In fact, those with known criminal antecedents lack the pedigree and needed character to lead youth. A youth leader should be level headed, articulate, visionary, motivating/inspiring, exemplary and above all, God-fearing .
The youth is transient. It is transition to adulthood and the next generation of leaders, so those who are leaders should have what it takes to lead well. Politicians should not see the youth as ready tools to achieve their selfish goal and ambition. Youths should be involved in the decision and policy making processes for adequate representation of their interest in policy and sustainable development blueprint. This is feasible when youth leaders know what is  the felt need of the people they represent. And they will not be in a frame of mind to mortgage the collective interest of the youths for penchant gratification.
More often than not, some mischievous chiefs and traditional rulers have exploited the moral weakness of some youth leaders to polarise, create disaffection and sow the seed of discord among the youths so that they can achieve their selfish goal while the youths wallow in the orgy of discord. Most youth crisis in communities that border on royalties, chieftaincy, politicians’ largesse oil firms bounties are masterminded and orchestrated by some chiefs and elites such as the Bukuma crisis of October 8, 2003 that resulted to the burning and or destruction of 31 houses and cannibalistic murder of defenceless people of the community.
Though affinity may be pluralistic, differ and relative to individuals, youths should have a collective interest and intentionally commit to philosophy and maxim: injury for one is injury for all. There should be a reasonable commitment to kill greed and selfishness among youth leaders. The sanctity of the human life should be held sacrosanct that no life should be sacrificed for interest of selfish men or women. It is speculated that more often, youths are the ones used to clear or “delete” those deemed as the human “ obstacles” to criminal elites or perpetrate elitist criminality in communities. A situation where some youths reduce themselves to killer-squad for some elites, with impunity, is repugnant to good conscience and respect for moral values.
Leadership of youth groups should not be infiltrated by criminal elements, cultists and people of queer character.
Profiling  as a pruning process and when done without fear or favour, will produce people of good character to lead youth groups. This will lead to peace and development in our society.

By: Igbiki Benibo