The Young shall...

For decades the good people of Nigeria have swam through the ocean of despair and dived into the tides of economic hardship, still hoping that someday they would reach the shore of a prosperous reality. For the records; it has been accounted that no other country of the world speaks and yearn for good leadership than our nation Nigeria.

It like the Nigerian populace have found themselves in a dark cave of gloom owing to bad governance. The situation we find ourselves can be akin to being a lifetime inmate to suffering in a prison yard of corruption. But aside all this anomalies, a few still stare at the roof top of the cave hoping to see tiny holes that could percolate little light beams that could illuminate our darkness. Sometimes we can’t help but ask ourselves when would our crooked path decorated with pot holes of poverty on the road of societal deterioration going to end? When are we as a country going to cruise past the beautiful gate of true freedom into the promise land of national prosperity? When are we going to but at long last get things right? These are salient questions begging for sincere answers.

The young generation of our time have being reputed to be pilgrims who would lead our country to a place of bliss. We (the youths) are believed to be the dove whom would fly to the mountains of opportunity and bring back fresh olive leaves in their beaks as a message of peace and tranquility. But have the youth fared better in these responsibility. Or is it that they have occupied their fertile uncultivated minds with frivolities like Man Utd, Chelsea, how much Cristiano Ronaldo earns per year, what Rihanna did in the last Grammy, the latest trend on social media etc. it however baffles me that septuagenarians and former military heads are still the men ruling the affairs of our nation. Come to think of it, our founding fathers who fought for the independence of Nigeria from the British Empire were men within the age bracket of 27 to 37. In fact Major General Yakubu Gowon was just 27years old when he became the military head of state. Are the youth still the leaders of tomorrow? A man can’t lead tomorrow when he fails to lead a life of diligence and discipline today (in his present).

I got talking with an elderly man some time ago, he said that one of the problem of the youth is most of us are just too impatient to acquire material wealth. We want to ride luxurious cars, have all the cash in the world without creating value in our society. An average youth is ready to jump into any fast money making venture (most especially entertainment) just to have cash at hand to squander. Only a few thinks of how to solve eminent problems in their immediate environment. It appears to me that a lot of young folks are oblivious of the fact that in major societal problems lies treasure chests of influence, wealth and “soulish” comfort.

Four to five months ago, our campus was entangled in the political jamboree with candidates campaigning, manifestos, election, propaganda… it was like unending and intriguing soap opera. Although the political arena in LAUTECH has its applaudable aspect especially when we consider the zeal and the extra-mile candidates go just to canvass for votes. Not leaving out those who show their priceless support to their favourite candidates in rallies even though they aren’t contesting for any political office. But I will however shy away from giving student politics in LAUTECH a pass mark.

It baffles me that some fellows whom I would acclaim to be absolutely ignorant of the responsibilities of the office they are vying for, fellows who do not have any realistic plans or agenda for the post they are bidding for eventually end up winners. As a student journalist, during the build up to the last student election at all levels I was opportune to cover of the electoral debates/manifesto, interviewed some aspirants, and even also the election. I must say there were many of them, who now occupy one post or the other lack ideas. Some can’t express themselves, some practically exhibit habits of thuggery, and one can define some as clueless. You begin to question yourself, how come these fellows ended up emerging as winners? But why not? Most of them, when they contested, they were unopposed. PASSA (pure and Applied Sciences Student Association) election example had unopposed candidates for all the available post except for the post of the President and Vice President I. Where were the brilliant minds? Did they shy away from shy away from contesting because of fear or they were just indifferent. I once heard; when good people fail to act, bad people will, and the result… I bet your guess is as good as mine.
Martin Luther King Jr said, “We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of bad people but for the appalling silence of good people. Human progress never rolls in the wheels of unavailability.”

I don’t only want to spur us to rise us to take responsibility for the needs of our immediate society but also guide ourselves from being rubbed of various opportunities life presents us because of our inaction due to fear of the unknown. In the lyrics of Marianne Williamson it reads that, “our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure” the most interesting part about the poem for me is when it says, “And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same”

     

                                                                                                                                                                By Rex Efmtop
                                                                                                                                                    (ariyopaul@gmail.com)