"Great Nigerian Youth... How Far?" - Written by Charly Boy
Another piece from the Areafada. Enjoy...
One of the many things God blessed me
with, would be the ability to go to sleep
at will even if my house is on fire. I
consider that as a gift because, this
environment has murdered sleep for
most Nigerians. How can we sleep when
things are all falling apart around us? It
saddens my heart to see the appalling
state of our nation and the quick
progressive decline in the quality of
governance and the management of the
polity. Naija as it were has gone to the
dogs and really, it's only a matter of
time before shit finally hits the fan.
Because, we must hit rock-bottom
before we can start to think of a Nigeria
that is workable.
I have noticed lately that I am fast losing my
gift, being able to fall asleep at will. It's no
longer happening for me like it use to. Thank
God, I haven't gotten to the point of popping
different kinds of pills to be able to get some
sleep. These days, I seem so consumed with
the thoughts of how all of these injustices,
poor leadership, the frustration,
hopelessness, and despair amongst young
Nigerians will all be resolved. How much
longer can we all go on as if all is well. The
situations as appalling as they are reminds me
of Asa's song, "There is Fire on the Mountain,
and no one seems to be on the Run" How
much longer will it take our leaders to realise
that they are sitting on a time Bomb. How
much longer will it take the few good men
and exceptional Nigerian youth to stop hiding
under the bed, while the vile, the fraud, the
gangsters, the 419ers, the thieves take over
the polity?
Yesooooooo, we are all guilty, guilty of
inaction, guilty of procrastination, guilty of
being scared by our own shadow. Yet, we
complain, talking bla bla bla all over the
place and doing nothing. That is why the
youth of this country are taken for granted.
Look at how our once strong and vibrant
youths have grown powerless, and have even
become willing instrument and tools in the
hands of vile and wicked politicians. Our
young people have been so battered
physically that, they have lost the urgency to
protest. How can they not know that the
consequences of corruption, wasting of
resources and stealing affect them, the youth
more than anyone else? They have not
realized yet that they are the ones who can't
go to school, and that most of their parents
have been impoverished by this shit-system,
and for the millions who graduate from the
university, half baked; where are the jobs?
Unreliable statistics say that about 28million
young people are unemployed and about
5million join annually as the army of the
unemployed youth grows, drugs, violence,
despair and hopelessness have become a
permanent fixtures in the lives of our dear
youth. This is the Nigeria of today. A country
so endowed, yet 60 percent of Nigerians are
living below 1dollar/ 25cents a day. What a
shame, what business has my country with
poverty? How far, great Nigerian youths?
The old foxes, old fraudsters, many of those
who had been in leadership position in the
past, wrote this tragic script, they are still
very much around, jostling for position and
power. Most annoying is when they pay lip
services saying, "the future belongs to the
youth", which youth? The one they cloned, or
the ones yet unborn. Because all these old
foxes that should be put to pasture are still
dragging it with the young people not ready
to quit the stage, unless they die there. They
have become deaf, dumb and blind to the
pains and sufferings of ordinary Nigerians.
The criminal nature of most of our leaders is
what has given impetus to criminal gangs,
kidnappers, militants, terrorists, money
doublers, gangsters who prey on innocent
citizens as effectively as the yahoo yahoo
leaders’ prey on Nigerians. Nigeria has
become their slot machine. This is how they
have weakened our youth, because even the
leaders so far, lack creativity. All they have
produced for the past 38yrs is mediocrity.
The youth cannot make good decisions and
hence can't make good leadership, double
wahala. These are the kind of leaders our
youth emulate, being schooled in the arts of
making it by all means even if they have to
sell their mothers. Most of these yahoo
leaders are getting rich at the expense of the
masses and Naija youth. What can they
produce, except buy houses, cars, posting
their new acquired jet planes on Facebook
and all over the social media, keeping billions
in bank accounts, while the youths and the
masses suffer and the environment remains in
shambles? How far great Nigerian youth?
I can feel the growing resentment the masses
have towards the leadership, it is ‘us’ against
them. The youth may seem not ready for a
revolution, but the one thing they have in
common that cuts across ethnic and religious
differences is a genuine yearning for Change
through a revolution. A revolution that will
see the end of this rampart injustices and
authority stealing that has left us poor and
hopeless. They also want to see how the
mighty and the once untouchables, those
responsible for bringing Nigeria to its knees
face the music if possible with their blood.
The youth obviously don't believe in Nigeria
anymore, even the unbelievers know we can
no longer carry on like this. People argue
that the youth are not capable of retrieving
their stolen future ever again. Just like we
never believed that a Nigerian for whatever
reason could strap himself with bombs and
blow himself up. When Boko Haram started,
many including myself believed that all who
were involved must have been fanatics from
neighbouring countries. Loh and behold, they
were many Nigerian youth involved. For
them, it was better than dying like a chicken.
What about the naija guy who failed to blow
himself and the plane up, in far away
America? The army of desperate youth is
growing, not to talk of the kind of arms that
have come into this country; God help us. For
those who still think that the Nigerian youth
are too disorganized and weak to confront
these demons, I say, it’s possible. They have a
common enemy, namely; hunger, poverty,
hopelessness, frustration and a strong satanic
hatred for our leaders and elites. You may be
asking yourself who will lead this inevitable
revolt. For many youth, the power is in their
hands right now as you read this; the
instrument of mobilization and you know
what? It has started.
As humans, we communicate by expressing
our feelings, our thoughts based on how we
perceive certain situations. Most of the youth
have become aware of the problem affecting
them, most of them live on the social media
highway to while away their time since
millions of them are out of jobs or poses the
faintest idea on what else to do. They are
stranded, and most pitiful is that nobody
cares. This is where young people fellowship
now to escape from the brutality of a harsh
environment caused by those "bigger "than
Nigeria. Once people become aware of a
common need or problem through interaction
and discussion, it is easier for them to create
a mobilizing strategy towards a common goal.
From the bush, the house, in the car, or even
from across the seas, the exceptional ones
will control millions through the social
highway networks. I can feel the rage, the
anger and the strong satanic hatred for our
kleptomaniac leaders. I pray for the seemly
fragile, deflated Nigerian youth, the victims
of bad and selfish leadership. Young
Nigerians; no matter where they are from, all
face the same sad and evil reality created and
perfected by a common enemy. We all know
the problem of Nigeria; they say a country
deserves the kind of leadership it gets,
hmmmmm... Nigerian youth... how far?
Where are the exceptional youth who will
remedy us from this hopeless situation? If it's
not road accidents because of bad roads, it is
incessant strikes because government still has
not lived up to its promise to inspire the
teachers. However, their children are all
abroad while ours study with candle light and
kerosene lamps in a country capable of
providing power for all. Inflation is tearing
families apart and causing parents to abandon
their duties. Haba, the iniquities are just too
much to recount, it's not fair in the eyes of
God. As these yahoo yahoo people continue to
rob us of our lives and future, ironically they
are facilitating this revolution. When the
chips are down, the youth will no longer
think on religious lines or ethnic differences;
they will be so filled with hatred, vengeance
and anger. They will vent this on all those
who have brought them sorrow, tears and a
bleak future. There will be a spark as young
people pour out on the streets hunting for
their enemies and serving them a dose of
mob justice. The time and how, I know not.
But yes, it is boiling over; the handwriting is
not only on the walls but on the faces of the
angry youths I see on a daily basis. Nigerian
youth... how far? na una hand Nigeria dey.
Beat the drum for change and a better life.
Let's stop blaming our leaders and elders. If
they have failed us, we can't afford to fail
ourselves. Let us use our strength to cut off
corruption in this land. Make una no fall my
hand...
Na Charlyboy D Areafada dey yarn
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