WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR THE NIGERIAN YOUTH The impact of the youth in the history of Nigeria cannot be downplayed or overemphasized, the great leaders that we celebrate as our heroes made their greatest impact to our nation at their youth. Putting into consideration the pre-independence and post independence era. Even the declaration of independence was proclaimed by a youth then with the name Mr. Anthony Enahoro in 1954. Also prominent nationalist such as Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Alhaji Aminu Kano, Chief Mathew Mbu, Alhaji Maitama Sule, just to mention a few made their significant contribution to Nigeria as youths. Even during the post independence era the young at heart played a significant role in the socio-economic and political development. Personalities such as Gen. Yakubu Gowon became president at an age that today could be considered to be young and naïve. In so many ways during this period, the youths played a vital role in the stability and development of Nigeria till date. The question that one is tempted to ask is that what made the youth of yester years excel in their quest to develop the country. Among many reasons the one that stands out is the quality of education and leadership that prepared the ground for their development and that of the country. Ironically today, the youth in Nigeria is faced with a different and challenging situation, which is detrimental to their growth and development. Bad leadership has entrenched corruption and mediocrity, which is fast destroying the foundation built by our fore fathers, and consequently making the future of the ordinary youth bleak. The impact of this situation today is that instead of the youth to be empowered by the government in order to have a bright future, they are left to seek empowerment in idleness and crime. Now a days all our youths are growing up with poverty, illiteracy (or lack of access to qualitative education), unemployment, lack of basic infrastructure, and the desperate desire to accumulate wealth; through crime and corruption (indeed following the footstep of corrupt role models). All you see today is the celebration of corruption with appointments, titles, honorary degrees and privileges. This has been sending a wrong signal to our teeming youths, who are fast buying the idea that the fastest way to get riches and recognition in their country is not through hard work and diligence, but through corruption. Successive bad leadership, which has institutionalized corruption, mediocrity and favoritism; have mismanaged and embezzled resources meant for the development of the country and especially the youth. The result of this self centered act is that our youths of today lack access to education; even the ones that have access to education go through it in an unconducive environment for acquiring standard education. On the long run, those who find self reliance unattractive resort to criminality. While those that had half baked education due to very low standards (due to corruption) graduate in their numbers without any form of initiative or skill, which renders most of them unemployable. As it is realistically, man must survive; they alternatively find employment in vices such as terrorism, armed robbery, prostitution, drug abuse, political thuggery and so on. What is worrisome is the recruitment of youth to become skilled political riggers and manipulators by disgruntled politicians. Political thuggery is fast becoming an attractive and lucrative profession for our youth, it is only unfortunate because these are the ones to take over from the self centered set of politicians we have today. This manifestation if not checked portends a future for our youth better not imagined. It must be noted that the lavish and extravagant lifestyle of most of our greedy leaders, is by every second, making our youths become desperate (get rich quick syndrome) to acquire wealth irrespective of its source. Our so called leaders who are consistently setting bad examples to our youths, have made it an art to embezzle money to the detriment of millions of those who; lack good or no education, substandard or non available health care service, unemployment, lack of or dilapidated infrastructure, and are poverty stricken-due to their corruption. Another worrisome issue that needs consideration is the fact that our youths are fast losing direction due to lack of positive role models. Today, you would be surprise that when you ask a young man or woman who his/her role model is, it is either he/she doesn’t have one or he/she mentions a person who has not done anything remarkable other than embezzle public funds. Role models are suppose to be people that motivate or inspire the youth positively by their achievements and lifestyle; people the youths can look up to for direction in life. Without the quick and critical reevaluation of our moral standards as a nation; the future of our youth, is one that would be characterized by anarchy, confusion and decay. The future of our youth is being toyed with; the older generation is consistently laying a foundation on quack sand, which must be halted. To a large extend they have failed us; they are shortchanging our future for selfish gains. As a youth, for God sake, why can’t we have quality education, good and standard healthcare, gainful employment, world class infrastructure and the eradication of poverty? Or is too much to ask from a country so endowed under the older generation that God has blessed in all ramifications; I need a good reason why things cannot change for the better in a country I so much love, or is it that we are cursed, please we as youths are seeking answers to why we are living in lack in the midst of plenty. Why can’t I as a young man have dreams like that of Martin Luther King, Barack Obama (President of America), Anthony Enahoro (independence); and see them come through. Must I be a corrupt person or a criminal to survive in my own Father’s land, why can’t I go to school and have qualitative education without my parents living in squalor for my sake? My questions are endless, and I fervently pray and hope that I get answers before frustration pushes me to take measures that other less patient youths have also taken. I presume, that it is now clear that the odds are against the ordinary Nigerian youth, because their elders and so called leaders have forsaken them, with little hope for tomorrow; this is due to the fact that our leaders are no longer sensitive and responsive to our plight as youths. Even though, I don’t subscribe to resorting to negative vices and violence as the last bus stop in expressing the frustrations of our youths, but you can’t complain when a hungry man who is frustrated beyond seeing reason, engages in crime, why condemn him when the real criminals are being celebrated in our major cities. It must emphatically and categorically be stated that crime be it corruption (official or not), terrorism, armed rubbery and kidnapping, political thuggery; must be condemned in its totality. The youths must rise up and take their future into their hands, with the help of well meaning stakeholders; to empower themselves a make sure they involve themselves in the leadership selection process and the decision-making process. This is to ensure that the era of bad leadership is totally eradicated, by supporting and electing only credible candidates in credible elections. God in his infinite mercy has blessed the youths with energy, intellect, creativity and innovation; which the youths must put into productive use for the emancipation of themselves and the future of their country Nigeria.
Posted on: Fri, 21 Mar 2014 11:07:52 +0000
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